Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Nursing Facility Investigation of Explosion Remains Open; Reports of PECO Being Onsite Before
Updated: 6:35 p.m. Wednesday December 24, 2025:
PECO officials Wednesday afternoon for Lower Bucks Source our reporting there were in fact work crews on site at the Silver Lake Nursing Home before Tuesday’s eruption.
A PECO spokesperson said the energy company issued statements to news organizations shortly after the blast:
” (Italics Ours) Shortly after 2 p.m., PECO crews responded to reports of a gas odor at the Silver Lake Nursing Home at 905 Tower Road in Bristol Township, Bucks County. While crews were on site, an explosion occurred at the facility. PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents.”
The statement, reflects information LBS gathered in the hours after the blast at the nursing facility, however, doesn’t detail, that a PECO employee was in the building with a nursing facility employee at the time of the explosion.
Those two individuals amazingly did not suffer threatening injuries the sources said.
PECO said Wednesday:
“(Italic Ours) We are a party to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation. We are fully cooperating with the NTSB and according to the NTSB rules, we are not permitted to comment on this matter.
Original Story
Bristol Township authorities held a press conference across the street from the site of Tuesday’s explosion at the Silver Lake Nursing Home saying the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Chief of Police C.J. Winik and Fire Marshal/Emergency Manager Kevin Dippolito said one facility employee and one resident died in the explosion, which caused the building’s first floor to collapse into the basement.
Both Winik and Dippolito declined comment on information Lower Bucks Source (LBS) received from sources that said prior to the explosion, a PECO work crew was dispatched to the nursing home to investigate reports of gas coming from the building.
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
“I can’t comment on that” Winik said.
On follow-up a short time later, Dippolito said the same.
Sources told LBS that PECO was dispatched to the site just before the explosion and on site when the building ignited.
Calls to PECO on Wednesday were not immediately returned to clarify reports from LBS sources.
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
For the moment township Winik said federal investigators are leading the investigation (ATF) treating the case as a “criminal event until it isn’t criminal.”
The facility passed its most recent township inspection in January of 2025, and had no recent gas-related fire company visits, Dippolito said, adding the facility goes through a number of inspections by state and federal authorities.
Dippolito said heavy machinery will remain at the site, removing the walls and roofs that collapsed. He said until they are removed “we won’t have any idea what may have occurred in there. We’re hoping to make significant progress today.”
Officials confirmed the heroic efforts made by Bucks County Rescue Squad personnel who called 911 moments after the facility exploded. Their headquarters is on King Street adjacent to the structure.
“It was an incredible response” by Bucks County Rescue Squad providers, Winik said, in an “overwhelming” situation.
A Bristol Twp Police Sgt, it was noted, was seen rescuing two individuals – one on each shoulder – simultaneously, Winik confirmed, but could not release that officer’s name due to his involvement working on highly sensitive investigations.
Officials said 19 were injured, and notifications were made to the families of the two who died. However, they were not releasing the names at the moment, saying the Philadelphia and Bucks County Coroner offices will release those names soon.
“Bristol Township is one of those types of communities where everyone comes together,” Winik said. “It was a tremendous effort from everyone in Bucks County.”
There were a total of 100 residents in the facility at the time of the explosion, officials said, but it was unclear as of press time how many employees were on the clock at the time of the explosion.
The explosion happened around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, and it was deemed a mass casualty event with first responders county-wide called to the scene.
Governor Josh Shapiro visited the site late Tuesday afternoon, officials said, to survey the damages done.
The investigation could take several days, Dippolito said, but he hopes the source of the explosions will be identified soon.
“Hopefully by 3 p.m., but we don’t know. We’re in there and we’re going to keep digging, get to the source of the explosion and find out.”
Saber Healthcare, renamed it Bristol Rehab & Health, after purchasing the nursing care facility about a year ago, officials said.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Winik said.
Township officials said, if there are any more press conferences to be held, the public will be notified through the media.
An image of blown out windows from the blast from corner of King and Apple Sts
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
Nursing facility beds in the parking lot area after the explosion Tuesday.
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack on Tuesday morning released the following statement on last nights Dorrance Street Fire.
It’s only been edited for style:
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Joe Nelson
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Bristol Twp Police Reports: Levittown Man Arrested on Aggravated Assault Charges, License Plate Stolen in Farmbrook and More !
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Bristol Twp. School District Clothing Drive Does More Than Provide Attire, It Provides Stability for Students in Need
It is one thing to see a teenage student on their way to school wearing a “hoodie” on a cold winter day.
It is an entirely different image to see a child heading to school on that same cold winter day, not wearing a winter jacket. This is the very image Bristol Township School District and Police Department officials recently joined forces to fight with a significant financial contribution from philanthropist Gene Epstein
The school district said recently it has about 130 students experiencing serious stable housing challenges.
Dr. Meredith Leach School District Social Worker said, holding the drive and providing the needed clothing for students experiencing a period of housing displacement can and does offer not only clothing, but a sense of stability students need to thrive in class.
It’s no secret, Leach said, that a sense of stability leads to achievement. By providing basic needs, such as clothing, they (school district and police department) are trying to put their students in the best possible position to succeed and thrive, despite the housing challenges their families are facing.
Leach said families experiencing housing challenges and alike usually self-identify to the school district and fellow counselors and social workers system wide to coordinate resource support.
“The school district also offers school supplies, hygiene items and if we don’t have it in stock at our offices we order it online.”
“Sometimes something so minor to an outsider, like organizers for clothing drawers, for a student means the world because it gives them a sense of control over some of the life circumstances they’re experiencing.”
“We’re lucky enough to live in a county and state where services for students experiencing this kind of life challenge there are an array of services and resources available,” Leach said.
So lucky that neighboring businesses, such as Five Below in Tullytown, donated to the cause once the clothing drive was announced.
Credit: Joanne Ames – Lower Bucks Source
The Clothing Drive
Leach said the clothing drive idea came to fruition once she and her staff reviewed the numbers and realized about 130 students were in need.
In the human services field (i.e. social work) a measure of your professional success and community connection is always having that one yet-to-be used resource in your back pocket that social workers place on the table when faced with a potentially troubling situation, experts agree.
I saw a social media post from Neshaminy School District that said “we are filling our closets.”
Leach pulled out her “Ace Card” in the form of the Bristol Twp. Police Dept. Officer John Dobbs who in turn reached out to Epstein because they worked well together in the past.
The Epsteins donated to the cause as well as Walmart making a $500 contribution to the effort, Sgt. Jason Mancuso said.
We basically filled everything the school district needed for those 125 to 130 students, Mancuso said.
The Bristol Township Police Union (PBA) contributed a number of gift cards to the effort as well.
Leach in a moment of levity said of the clothing drive spending spree paid for by Epstein, “when do you ever get carte blanche to buy what you want as a social worker? Never!” She admitted to being a bit timid at first when selecting clothing items to purchase.
“Mancuso and Dobbs changed that for me. They grabbed boxes where I was grabbing packets,” she said, in joyous laughter.
The spacious school district office where the clothes are kept and distributed to school district social workers is filled with supplies for students now, thanks to Epstein giving Mancuso his credit card allowing Leach to spend thousands on students in need.
How could I not do it and live in good conscience, Epstein said.
“Those students were in immediate need,” he said “and it would take way too much time to set up a fundraising drive. Here’s my credit card and I don’t care what you spend. Get the kids what they need.”
Credit: Joanne Ames – Lower Bucks Source
“Whatever our students need we’re going to do everything we can to help them. We don’t want any of our students walking around with needs we can help them meet. I like to think we can help our students, and their families to be build a scaffold that they in turn can build upon.”
The response to the need by the Bristol Twp Police, the PBA and the Epsteins was amazing, Leach said.
The student-focused clothing drive officially launched February 2 and remains ongoing until the need no longer exists.
Any clean clothes, even if previously worn, can be dropped off at the Bristol Twp Police records department hallway or at the Bristol Township School Admin Building on Green Lane.
Opus Outreach Foundation joined the clothing drive shortly after it was announced. Items can be dropped off at Opus Elite Real Estate 119 Trenton Road, Fairless Hills. If you want to arrange a clothing drive donation you can call Christy Becker at 267 338-7518.
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