This information is preliminary and subject to change.
On December 23, 2025, about 2:15 p.m. local time, a natural gas–fueled explosion and fire occurred at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center in Bristol, Pennsylvania.[1] Two people died and about 20 were injured in the explosion and the subsequent fire and partial building collapse; on January 5, a third person died from injuries sustained in the accident. The weather at the time of the accident was 38ºF and cloudy, with light and variable winds.
Soon after 11:00 a.m., the Bristol Health maintenance director reported a natural gas odor in the basement boiler room and a first-floor hallway to utility company PECO, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation.[2] Exelon provided natural gas to the facility through a distribution system that included an underground 1.25-inch-diameter coated steel service line and an indoor rotary meter set located in the basement.[3] An Exelon energy technician arrived onsite about 11:50 a.m. to respond to the odor report. The technician identified a leak on a meter set valve in the basement boiler room and called dispatch to request repair assistance. Exelon’s foreman directed a meter services technician to perform the repair, and he arrived about 1:20 p.m. [4]
In interviews with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Bristol Health maintenance director and other personnel recalled smelling natural gas odorant in the basement, first floor, and second floor of the building shortly before the explosion. The building exploded about 2:15 p.m., with about 180 people at the facility.
About 2:17 p.m., regional fire and rescue units were dispatched to a reported explosion and structural collapse. The first units arrived within 1 minute and initiated a search and rescue operation. Additional units were requested, and the response included the Third District Fire Company, Bristol Township Fire Rescue, the Bucks County Rescue Squad, and the Bristol Township Police. The search and rescue operation concluded about 6 hours after the accident.
Exelon emergency responders arrived about 2:42 p.m. and isolated natural gas flow to the facility about 3:50 p.m. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission directed Exelon to conduct bar hole tests, which identified subsurface gas outside of the building about 5:00 p.m.
While on scene, the NTSB directed and oversaw integrity and pressure testing of the service line and gas equipment, examined the accident site, and conducted interviews. The NTSB recovered the indoor meter set, excavated portions of the service line that did not hold pressure during pressure testing, and delivered these items to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination.
The investigation is ongoing. Future investigative activity will focus on evaluating physical evidence collected at the site and on reviewing Exelon’s pipeline safety management system as well as its practices related to personnel training and operator qualifications, task-specific procedures, odor complaint response, documentation, and emergency response.
Parties to the investigation include:
- the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
- the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
- the Bristol Township Office of the Fire Marshal,
- the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 614,
- Exelon, and
- Saber Healthcare Group.
[1] All times in this report are local.
[2] Because natural gas is odorless, strong-smelling chemical additives called odorants are mixed with natural gas before distribution to help reduce the risk that leaks will go unidentified. The most common odorant added to natural gas is methanethiol, or methyl mercaptan, which has a characteristic “rotten egg” or sulfurous odor.
[3] A meter set includes the meter, regulator, piping, valves, and related fittings that control pressure to downstream customer piping.
[4] Both the foreman and the meter services technician had less than 1 year of experience in their current roles with Exelon.
[5] Bar hole testing describes a gas measurement technique in which a small-diameter hole is made in the ground, a bar hole probe is inserted into the hole, and a gas measurement is made. [6] Saber Healthcare Group is the owner of Bristol Health and Rehab Center.
