MILWAUKEE – A firefighter responding to an explosion caused by a gas line break that rocked downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night has died, authorities said at an early morning news conference. The blast leveled several buildings. Two firefighters were taken to a hospital and one police officer was treated at the scene. One of the firefighters later died and another is in critical condition. A couple of civilians suffered minor injuries. A contractor struck a natural gas main shortly before the explosion rocked the Madison suburb of around 30,000 people. We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze said the utility’s first responders were in downtown Sun Prairie working to shut off the flow of gas and make the area safe. Crews were called at 6:21 p.m. for a report of a natural gas leak at the corner of Main and Bristol streets, said Sun Prairie Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Konopacki. After police and the fire department arrived to investigate the source of the leak and close off the area, the buildings exploded. A plume of smoke shot into the sky as debris rained down and cars parked nearby ignited. Sun Prairie tavern the Barr House and Glass Nickel Pizza were heavily damaged. Photos show blown-apart buildings with splinters and debris littering the street. Several cars were in flames. At 9 p.m., Konopacki spoke to reporters as black smoke continued to curl up behind him into the sky. The odor of gas could still be smelled three hours after the explosion. Residents told Madison TV station WMTV-TV they could feel their houses shake during the explosion. Milwaukee station Fox 6 posted incredible drone footage of the explosion aftermath and fires. Authorities blocked off five blocks as rescue crews and firefighters looked for the injured and put out the blaze. Residents within several blocks of the explosion were evacuated and motorists were diverted from the area. Schulze said a 4-inch gas main was struck by a contractor, which caused the gas leak. She did not know the name of the contractor or what kind of work was being done. Natural gas was cut off to around 500 customers, Schulze said. Contributing: The Associated Press.<doc-sep>(CNN) — One firefighter died and several others were injured Tuesday in a gas explosion that tore through a small Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, business district, shooting up a plume of orange flames and white smoke and blowing wood and concrete debris across half a city block. The blast, which reportedly could be felt a mile away from downtown Sun Prairie, happened around 7 p.m. Tuesday after a private contractor hit a natural gas main, officials said early Wednesday during a news conference. It killed volunteer fire captain Cory Barr, 34, who co-owned the Barr House Tavern, one of the businesses that was destroyed, CNN affiliate WISC-TV reported. Fires were still burning but contained on Wednesday morning in at least one of five buildings, including restaurants and a home, that were heavily affected, city officials said. Meantime, one firefighter was still hospitalized and in stable condition, said police Lt. Kevin Konopacki of Sun Prairie, a suburb of Madison. Other injuries were minor. Some of the city’s 30,000 residents have been temporarily evacuated from their homes, Konopacki said. WMTV The gas line explosion left one firefighter dead. ’We will come back’ At least five firefighters, a police officer and six others were hurt in the explosion, which happened about 45 minutes after first responders were alerted to the smell of gas around a main line operated by We Energies, a private operator, Konopacki said. “The incident came in as a gas leak, and that’s what we were responding to,” Sun Prairie Fire Assistant Chief Bill Sullivan said. “The fire itself is a result of the explosion.” Officials set a half-mile perimeter around the scene as fire crews controlled the area. After it’s deemed safe, officials will investigate what caused the explosion. The contractor that caused the leak isn’t affiliated with We Energies, company spokeswoman Amy Jahns told CNN affiliate WMTV. The gas main was shut off, and about 500 natural gas customers were without service as of about 5:30 a.m., she said. Barr’s wife and business co-owner Abby Barr told WISC-TV her husband was a volunteer fire captain. She said he went to check on a gas leak while other firefighters evacuated people. Thank you to everyone who has extended their well wishes and thoughts. It's very appreciated during this difficult time.... Posted by Sun Prairie Fire & Rescue on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 “He was especially wanting to make sure he was on that call because it was affecting something else we loved so much – our bar. He told me he was going down there and I asked him why and he just looked like a kid in a candy store. It’s what he loved to do. He loved helping people,” Barr told WISC-TV. Cory Barr leaves behind Abby Barr and their twin 3-year-old girls. “I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have known him and have him be a part of my life and be an excellent father to my girls,” Barr told WISC-TV. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.” She said he had so much passion for the fire service. “I always looked up to him and admired him because I feel like it takes a special kind of person to be on a fire department and be running in toward something that everyone else was running away from,” she said. Sun Prairie Fire Chief Christopher Garrison said Barr had served more than 10 years with the department. “We are hurt,” Garrison said of his team’s loss of one of its veterans, “but we will come back.”<doc-sep>Image 1 of 3 ▼ Photo Courtesy: Ryan Lobenstein SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) - A firefighter was killed and at least a dozen other people were injured when a natural gas explosion leveled at least two buildings in a Wisconsin community, authorities said Wednesday. A gas leak in downtown Sun Prairie led to an explosion Tuesday evening that destroyed several buildings and ignited a fire that sent billowing smoke that could be seen for miles around. Another firefighter suffered critical injuries in the blast but his condition has been stabilized, according to Sun Prairie Police Lt. Kevin Konopacki. Four other firefighters, a police officer and seven civilians were also hurt, Konopacki said. The firefighter who died has been with the department at least 10 years, Sun Prairie Fire Chief Christopher Garrison said. "The Sun Prairie Fire Department is strong. We will keep on building from this. We are hurt, but we will come back," Garrison said. WE Energies spokeswoman Amy Jahns said workers for a private contractor punctured a 4-inch (10-centimeter) gas main, causing a leak that resulted in the explosion that rained burning debris on downtown Sun Prairie and set vehicles parked nearby on fire. Authorities evacuated buildings within a half-mile (0.8 kilometer) radius from the center of the explosion. The Barr House and Glass Nickel Pizza exploded after the gas ignited, police said. The Red Cross assisted evacuees at a shelter set up at Sun Prairie High School. Steve Owen, 60, who owns Sun City Cyclery and Skates in downtown Sun Prairie, said he saw firefighters and police officers on the street and then the explosion happened. He said the building across from his shop "literally lifted up." He said the force of the blast knocked him back in his chair and that he ran outside and saw a ball of fire. "People were scrambling," said Owen, who lives above his shop. Jill Thompson, 56, who lives about two blocks away, said she saw smoke immediately after the blast occurred. Advertisement "It shook the whole building," Thompson said. "I thought someone had hit the building with their vehicle."<doc-sep>
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP/WCCO) — An explosion rocked a Wisconsin community after a contractor struck a natural gas main in a downtown area filled with bars and other businesses, killing one firefighter and injuring several other people, authorities said. Firefighters and police officers responded to a reported gas leak, and an evacuation was underway when the blast happened Tuesday, said Sun Prairie police Lt. Kevin Konopacki. He added that lives were likely saved as a result of the evacuation. Konopacki said buildings would be searched in the Madison, Wisconsin, suburb of about 30,000 once the flames were out. Firefighters were still battling flames more than three hours after the explosion. The powerful blast around 7:15 p.m. sent a plume of smoke and flames into the air. According to WISC-TV, one firefighter was killed and six other firefighters were taken to the hopsital — four with minor injuries and another who is in stable condition. A police officer and seven civilians were also taken to the hospital, treated and released. WE Energies spokeswoman Amy Jahns said workers for a contractor apparently punctured a 4-inch natural gas main, sending gas leaking into a building ahead of the explosion. All 12 gas lines in the area were shut off by about 9:30 p.m. The blast about half a block from City Hall appeared to be centered on the Barr House, a pub. Authorities evacuated a half-mile radius and set up a shelter at Sun Prairie High School. Steve Owen, 60, who owns Sun City Cyclery and Skates in downtown Sun Prairie, said he saw firefighters and police officers on the street and then the explosion happened. He said the building across from his shop “literally lifted up.” He said the force of the blast knocked him back in his chair and that he ran outside and saw a ball of fire. “People were scrambling,” said Owen, who lives above his shop. Jill Thompson, 56, who lives about two blocks from where the blast occurred, said, “It shook the whole building. I thought someone had hit the building with their vehicle. We seen the smoke immediately.” (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)