Black River Falls Forest Fire

On the dry, windy afternoon of April 27, 1977, a forest fire started south of Black River Falls and quickly became a raging crown fire, traveling through the tops of the dense pine forest. This mound, directly in the path of the fire, burned in just a few minutes. In the 12 hours it took the fire to run its course, 14 homes and 17,590 acres of forest land burned, while the village of Millston was spared because of a last-minute wind shift. Most of this area has since been reclaimed naturally by oak and aspen, which sprout vigorously after a fire. A small portion of the area was planted with pine, a more valuable tree species. The area has become prime wildlife habitat supporting tremendous deer and small game populations. In 50 years all visual reminders of the Black River Falls fire will be gone.

Brockway, Wisconsin · United States