Downtown Sun Prairie cleared following gas leak

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Emergency responders evacuated a one-block area of downtown Sun Prairie on Thursday after a construction worker struck a gas main near the intersection of Angell and Church streets.

The construction worker struck the gas main at 1:46 p.m. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, they determined the sound coming from the gas main indicated it was a major leak.

Officials said four teams of Sun Prairie firefighters and a technician from WE Energies worked to shut off the gas and had it under control within 15 minutes from when the gas main was struck.

Lt. Kevin Konopacki of the Sun Prairie Police Department said the gas leak was above ground, which allowed the gas to clear quickly.

During a press conference, Konopacki said first responders learned a lot of lessons from the 2018 explosion that rocked the community.

“When I got the phone call, yeah, I’d be lying to you if I said that wasn’t the first thing that went through my mind,” Konopacki said.

Officials gave the all clear at 3:15 p.m. No one was injured during the response to the leak.

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