State of Emergency declared for Sun Prairie, Dane County in wake of natural gas explosion

SUN PRAIRIE -- Governor Scott Walker declared on Friday, July 20 a State of Emergency for the City of Sun Prairie and Dane County due to the explosion that destroyed portions of downtown Sun Prairie.

The executive order directs state agencies to continue to provide aid to the community and its citizens as they recover following last week’s devastating fire.

CLICK HERE to ready the governor's executive order

"This declaration will ensure state agencies provide whatever assistance is needed to help the community rebuild and to help families impacted recover. Together we are all part of #SunPrairieStrong."


A subcontractor was working in downtown Sun Prairie before the natural gas explosion that killed a firefighter and injured several others in the area.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to begin repairing damaged roads once the investigation is over and debris has been removed. Several other agencies are looking at financial assistance to help the city rebuild the downtown and to possibly provide aid to citizens that may have been impacted.

Governor Walker is working with federal agencies to see if there are programs that could also provide assistance to Sun Prairie.