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Excerpts from the journal times.com:
A thorough criminal investigation into the cause of a devastating explosion that destroyed multiple buildings and claimed the life of a volunteer firefighter last July has concluded with no criminal charges filed. According to Sun Prairie Police Chief Patrick Anhalt, the incident was the result of a breakdown in communication between utility contractors and subcontractors, which led to an underground gas line being incorrectly marked before the explosion on July 10.
Abigail Barr, the widow of Captain Cory Barr, a volunteer firefighter from the Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department who died in the blast, has filed a lawsuit against VC Tech, Bear Communications, USIC Locating Services, and WEC Energy Group (We Energies), alleging their negligence directly contributed to her husband’s death.
In addition, two other volunteer firefighters—Ryan Welch and Greg Pavlik—have also filed personal injury lawsuits against the same four companies, claiming they were harmed due to the failure to properly locate and mark the gas line.
A newly released police report revealed that the explosion occurred because a subcontractor working on the project dropped out before completing its part of the work. This left a key location where a Verizon fiber-optic cable was to be installed unmarked. The company responsible for marking the pavement on behalf of the subcontractor failed to finish the job. When the work was handed over to another subcontractor, the Verizon contractor mistakenly believed the utility markings had already been completed. As a result, the new subcontractor struck the gas line, triggering the massive explosion that destroyed several businesses and injured multiple people.
The Wisconsin State Fire Marshal’s Office, in its final report, noted that while investigators could not determine the exact cause of the gas ignition, they confirmed the explosion originated near the Barr House, located at 100 W. Main Street.
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