Two die in Bristol nursing home explosion – Bucks Round-Up – December 24, 2025
Three die in Bristol nursing home explosion
An explosion at Silver Lake Nursing Home yesterday afternoon has taken the lives of two people. Four who were not immediately accounted for have been found and are safe. The blast caused windows to shatter and could be heard miles around the Bristol-based facility. Bristol Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito described the result of the explosion and ensuing fire as a “a major structural collapse with parts of the first floor into the basement with persons trapped.” Governor Josh Shapiro (D) called the event “a very, very tragic moment for this community.”
Yardley property tax to increase ten percent, police to get 25-percent pay hike
Yardley Borough real estate owners will see a ten percent tax increase this year, with taxes on a property valued by county assessors at $27,048 going up an extra $89 annually. Police pay will go up under the new borough budget, from $44,000 to $55,300 at the low end. Officer retention has been a subject of concern in the borough insofar as several local police personnel, subject to the lowest compensation in Bucks County, went to other nearby departments that paid better; the officers included Police Chief Joseph Kelly who went to Lower Makefield. The recent Borough Council meeting was the last of the year and the last to feature Councilpersons Don Carlson and Jared Stump. Borough officials also honored the retiring longtime mayor Chris Harding, who will be replaced by Council President Caroline Thompson.
Apartments to come to Ivyland Historic District
The former tractor warehouse property in Ivyland, a persistently vacant building at Greeley and Wilson avenues in the borough’s historic district, will get repurposed for four apartments and eight parking spaces. The decision eventuates what Councilman Chuck Bristow called “one of the best possible uses of a building that’s currently unoccupied and an eyesore.” In April, the space was sold for $300,000; developers suggested the new building would largely reflect the property’s historic structure.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect that two people died in the Bristol nursing home blast on Tuesday.
Bradley Vasoli is the senior editor of The Independence.
