One year later, no closure
Residents like Davis said that they’re frustrated by the investigation and that there’s still no closure a year after the incident.
“They determined it was a gas explosion, but you’re saying it’s not the gas company’s fault, then whose fault is it?” she said.
The PUC confirmed fire officials’ conclusions that the explosion was likely sparked on the customer side of the gas meter, though no official cause was cited.
Gas companies operate the service lines that meet ratepayers’ meters, while homeowners are responsible for maintaining the infrastructure on their side of the meter, such as interior gas piping and appliance connectors.
Gas leaks and explosions can be caused by mistakes during contract work, loose fittings or pipe corrosion in ratepayers’ homes, said Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust. He said the cause of a gas explosion can be difficult to investigate because of the extent of damage it can cause.
“I just want to say how frustrating it is for communities that experience these horrific explosions and for public safety advocates, like our organization, to have an investigation happen and then they determine it’s the other side of the meter, the customer side, then it’s, ‘Well, it’s not jurisdictional, not our problem,’” he said. “It’s really, really frustrating, and I can’t imagine how that is for the community to just experience this explosion.”
Philadelphia Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who represents and grew up in Nicetown, is calling for greater efforts to ensure all homes are regularly inspected and that rental properties are licensed and safe.
Some Nicetown residents, including Davis, later learned that their landlords didn’t have the appropriate licenses and safety certifications to rent their properties.
“This is not just one isolated incident. It’s part of a larger pattern of unsafe housing in our city, especially in Black and brown neighborhoods,” Brooks said in an email. “We have some of the oldest housing stock in the nation, and when one structure collapses, it can impact every home on the block. Decades of disinvestment have left our neighborhoods extremely vulnerable.”
Brooks is also calling for the expansion of the state’s Whole-Home Repairs Program, which provides grants for home repairs, and energy efficiency and accessibility upgrades. More than 18,000 people are on the waitlist for the program because of a greater demand than available funds.
President Donald Trump has refused to sign bipartisan federal legislation known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which in part would offer home repair grants, until Congress passes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act — a voter ID bill.
Caram said renters should report signs of gas leaks, such as rotten egg smells, to their landlords and leave their homes. The Pipeline Safety Trust is advocating for utility companies and landlords to provide in-home methane detectors to their customers.
Pennsylvania legislation known as the Fuel Gas Detector Act would mandate the installation of such detectors in residences, businesses, and other buildings that use natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. The bill, which awaits a vote in the State Senate, was introduced in response to the 2023 explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading.
A year after the Nicetown explosion, Davis and her family are still impacted by the trauma they experienced that day and the weeks that followed. Davis is still haunted by the screams, and her granddaughter is afraid to go to the bathroom alone.
Davis and her grandkids have found a new place to rent from a landlord who has the required documentation to rent properties. However, she hopes her next move will be in a home she owns.
“I just want a home for my grandbabies. That’s it. That’s all I want, is a home so we never have to go through this again,” Davis said. “I think about that day a lot. I cry a lot, it’s just sad. I was one of the lucky ones. We’re still here.”