Bristol, Pennsylvania – December 23, 2025, began like any other day for Robert Flesch, a resident of the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, until a reported gas leak disrupted his morning routine. The incident ultimately led to a devastating explosion and fire that claimed three lives and injured at least 20 others.
Evacuation and a False Sense of Security
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Residents were initially told the leak was resolved, only to experience the lingering smell of gas before disaster struck.
“They came in and told us that they smelled gas and there was a gas leak. And that was around 9 o’clock,” Flesch recalled. “And they said we’re going to evacuate my room so go to the common area.”
Flesch and other residents waited for hours in the common area, uncertain about the situation. Later in the afternoon, staff assured them the problem was fixed. “They came and they said, ‘It’s all safe. PECO fixed it. You can go back to your room.’ And I said, ‘Are you sure? A gas leak is pretty serious.’ And I still smelled gas when I went back,” Flesch said.
Shortly after returning to his room, an explosion ripped through the facility, causing a partial collapse and igniting a fire. “Within three minutes, all hell broke loose, and the whole building just collapsed,” Flesch stated.
The Bristol Health & Rehab Center sustained significant damage following the explosion on December 23, 2025.
A Fortuitous Escape
Flesch, who uses a wheelchair, managed to escape with the assistance of a facility worker. He described a moment of sheer luck. “God had me in a bearhug because if I was one inch to the left or one inch to the right, I’d have been decimated,” he said.
Now recovering physically and emotionally at another nursing home approximately 80 miles from Bristol, Flesch continues to grapple with the trauma. “I wake up and it’s like I hear the screaming,” he shared. “I’m still in shock. I mean I’m still trying to get my head together.”
The loss of companionship weighs heavily on him. “I don’t see them every day. I don’t have coffee with them. I don’t know where they are,” he said, referring to his friends from the destroyed facility.
Legal Action Following the Disaster
Earlier in the week, four individuals injured in the explosion filed a lawsuit against Bristol Health & Rehab Center LLC and PECO, alleging negligence led to the incident. The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia court, asserts that the defendants were aware of the gas leak but failed to adequately evacuate the building, repair the leak, or protect those exposed to the blast.
When asked about the timeline of their response and whether residents were asked to leave their rooms during their presence, a spokesperson for PECO declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Despite the devastation, Flesch remains resolute. “We’re going to hang in there,” he said. “We’re going to make it.”
