PLUM, PA - Just before 11:30 P.M. on April 22nd, fire crews were dispatched to the 5000 block of Hialeah Drive for a reported house explosion. Seconds later, crews were informed that county 911 was receiving multiple calls for the house also being on fire.

Crews arrived to find the home fully involved with exposure problems on each side, with a large debris field on the street. Command advised dispatch that the residents were unaccounted for and master streams were being set up to knock down fire on the exposure homes.

A few minutes later, command advised that all five residents had been accounted for and were being treated by EMS on scene. Crews quickly knocked down the fire on the exposure homes and then began knocking down the fire on what was left of the home.

The fire was quickly placed under control within about 15 minutes, but crews remained on scene for several hours. Several surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution until gas company representatives arrived.

Two adults and three young children were inside the home when it exploded. One child with burns was flown as a precaution to Children’s Hospital, and the other family members were transported to local hospitals for lacerations and burns. Everyone is expected to make a full recovery.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s safety division, along with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and other agencies.