Investigators interview man who visited Rustic Ridge home days ahead of fatal explosion

Allegheny County authorities say they identified a man who was seen on the porch of a home in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood days before it exploded last year.

The man was not suspected of any wrongdoing, but investigators believed he could have information that might help in the ongoing investigation, county police said.

“We do not believe this gentleman is connected to the home explosion in any way, but hoping he can help answer some questions,” said Kasey Reigner, spokesperson for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services.

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Allegheny County Police and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal are seeking assistance from the public identifying this individual in connection with the investigation into the Rustic Ridge house explosion in Plum on August 12, 2023. pic.twitter.com/fLVEmjRr0V

— Allegheny County PD (@AlleghenyCoPD) April 1, 2024

Allegheny County Police on Monday asked for the public’s help in identifying the man, whose image was captured on a doorbell camera Aug. 9 at the home of Paul and Heather Oravitz on Rustic Ridge Drive. The house exploded Aug. 12, killing six people.

The fire marshal’s office had been unable to identify the man from the video, Reigner said.

“With our outreach efforts through social media, the person quickly came forward and has been interviewed related to the incident,” Reigner said.

The man’s name was not released.

“This is not a person of interest, but any witness to the events that day can possibly have information on what they had seen or heard,” Reigner said. “That is the basis of the follow up. To uncover all known facts from all witnesses. Nothing more.”

Heather Oravitz, 51, died in the explosion along with four friends and neighbors who had been in the Oravitz home — Mike Thomas, 57; Kevin Sebunia, 55; and father and son Casey Clontz, 38, and Keegan Clontz, 12. Oravitz’s husband, Paul, 56, died four days later.

A cause of the explosion has not been released.