Wife of Cory Barr looks back on Sun Prairie explosion 5 years later

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Five years ago, the tragic Sun Prairie gas leak explosion injured firefighter Ryan Welch and killed Fire Captain Cory Barr.

Cory’s widow, Abby Barr, said the five year anniversary is hitting her extra hard.

“I think about what my life was five years ago and what it is now, and they are two completely different things, some good and some bad,” Barr said.

Monday marks five years since he passed away. For Barr, that is five years without her husband and five years for her daughters growing up without their father.

“As they grow older, the questions change and get more detailed as they kind of understand things,” Barr said. “They know the story, but they don’t necessarily know the trauma and grief side of it.”

Barr said her late husband Cory had wanted to work for the Sun Prairie Fire Department from a young age.

“Some people are like, ‘If he had the choice he would do it all over again if it meant it was just one life versus a bunch of other lives,’” Barr said.

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