On This Day In 2005:

Cottonville Forest Fire

Big Flats was the site of a devastating wild fire, named the Cottonville Forest Fire, on May 5, 2005. At 1:32 P.M. CDT, the Adams County dispatch center received a call reporting an out of control fire at 972 South Chicago Court. Thomas Barnhart lit a fire within a fire ring constructed of concrete blocks, attempting to burn off dead grass. The fire jumped out of the ring and began burning the grass in the surrounding area. He called for a friend, Dorothy Clark, and they unsuccessfully attempted to suppress the fire. They requested the help of a neighbor to report the fire. Smoke from the fire was spotted by the fire tower in Rome's Dyracuse Park and his call came in about 30 seconds prior to the first 911 call.

After the fire escaped, it spread in a north to northeast direction, following a six mile (10 km) stretch along the east side of Roche A Cri Creek. By the time it was contained 11 hours later, the flames had spread about 10 miles (16 km) north to the area of Badger Avenue and east to about Sixth Avenue. This forest fire fire burned approximately 3,410 acres (13.8 km2). There were 30 residences destroyed, 9 of which were permanent and 21 of which were seasonal. There was also approximately 60 other out-building structures destroyed. These other out-buildings varied from garden sheds to two car garages.

About 177 firefighters from 20 fire departments responded, not counting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) firefighters, who came from as far away as Hayward. Two DNR planes used to drop foam had to fly in from Minnesota. The firefighters were put in charge of protecting buildings, while DNR personnel handled the burning trees and vegetation. The DNR estimates that the efforts of the firemen saved 300 buildings.

Smoke from this fire was visible from 60 miles (97 km) away. It was the biggest forest fire in Wisconsin since the Ekdall Church and Oak Lake Fires burned more than 16,000 acres (65 km2) in Washburn and Burnett counties from April 21-22, 1980.

Thomas Barnhart was charged with setting a fire which becomes a forest fire, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not more than $1,000 or imprisonment not more than 90 days or both. On January 6, 2006, he pled no contest to the charge and was sentenced to a local jail term of 90 days, which was stayed, 2 years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and $150 per month of restitution which is applied to uninsured expenses of the victims. On November 13, 2006, the total amount of restitution owed was set at $1,436,504.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill