Care Facility Turned Crisis Zone After Explosion And Fire In Bristol
by Dan Doyle | December 23, 2025
ALL PHOTOS BY DAN DOYLE
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — An explosion followed by a fast-moving fire ripped through a nursing home in Bristol Township on Tuesday afternoon, injuring multiple people and triggering a large-scale emergency response involving dozens of Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement agencies.
The incident occurred shortly after 2 p.m. at a long-term care facility on Tower Road,at the Silver Lake Nursing Home where first responders arrived to find heavy smoke, fire, and reports of residents trapped inside.
FIRE- EMS- POLICE AND CITIZENS immediately began evacuating residents, many of whom are elderly or medically fragile. Some residents were assisted out by staff and bystanders before firefighters conducted searches of the building under hazardous conditions. Several individuals were transported to area hospitals with injuries, though officials had not released an exact number or the severity of those injuries as of late afternoon.
Authorities established a wide safety perimeter and urged the public to avoid the area while operations continued. A reunification site was designated nearby at Lower Bucks Hospital for families seeking information about loved ones.
The cause remains under investigation as emergency crews worked into the evening. The nursing home will remain closed while investigators assess the extent of the damage.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.