The Latest: Widow of Wisconsin firefighter sues over blast
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on Wisconsin explosion investigation (all times local):
7:30 p.m.
The widow of a Wisconsin volunteer firefighter is suing over an explosion that killed her husband this summer.
Abby Barr filed her lawsuit on Thursday, the same day that authorities said no one would face charges in the blast that injured 11 other people and leveled a city block in Sun Prairie.
Barr's husband, Cory Barr, was killed in the July 10 explosion that destroyed a bar he owned.
Two other firefighters who were injured, Ryan Welch and Greg Pavlik, also filed lawsuits Thursday.
WKOW-TV reports the lawsuits name VC Tech, Bear Communications, USIC Locating Services and WE Energies as defendants.
WE Energies spokesman Brendan Conway says the Milwaukee-based company has not received or reviewed the lawsuits, but does not comment on pending litigation.
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11:15 a.m.
A police chief says there will be no criminal charges against anyone related to an explosion in southern Wisconsin that killed a firefighter and leveled several buildings.
Sun Prairie Police Chief Patrick Anhalt said Thursday "There is not probable cause to believe a crime was committed."
Sun Prairie firefighter Cory Barr was killed in the July 10 explosion that destroyed a bar he owned, five other businesses and a home. Eleven other people were hurt, including five other firefighters and a police officer.
The explosion occurred after a subcontractor installing fiber communication lines struck a gas main. The gas ignited, sending a towering fireball into the night sky.
The police chief says the blast occurred after "incomplete and inaccurate information was exchanged and relied upon" by those working on the underground project.
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10:22 a.m.
Investigators are planning to announce the results of a criminal investigation into an explosion that leveled a city block and killed a firefighter in southern Wisconsin.
Sun Prairie police have scheduled a news conference Thursday to reveal the findings.
Firefighter Cory Barr was killed in the July 10 explosion that destroyed a bar he owned, five other businesses and a home in Sun Prairie, a city about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Madison. Several other emergency workers were hurt.
The explosion occurred after a subcontractor installing fiber communication lines struck a gas main. The gas ignited, sending a towering fireball into the night sky.
Court documents show a utility-location worker failed to properly mark a natural gas line prior to the explosion. The search warrant request showed investigators were looking for evidence to support a homicide charge in the case.
