Editing Big Flats, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
The town of Big Flats was created on November 15, 1861, and the name was changed from Brownsville.<ref>[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=6662&keyword=big+flats Wisconsin Historical Society-Big Flats, Wisconsin]</ref> The community of Big Flats once had a [[post office]], which opened in August 1862; John W. Potter was the first postmaster. The community most likely takes its name from [[Big Flats, New York]].<ref name="Callary">{{cite book |last1=Callary |first1=Edward |title=Place Names of Wisconsin |date=2016 |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |location=Madison, Wisconsin |isbn=9780299309640 |page=29}}</ref>

===Big Flats tornado===
On August 27, 1994, the town of Big Flats was hit by an [[Fujita scale|F3]] tornado. It touched down at 8:41 [[12-hour clock|P.M.]] [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CDT]] and was on the ground for 16 minutes. The tornado's path was {{convert|10.5|mi}} long and {{convert|850|yd}} wide.<ref name="noaa">{{cite web | title=Adams County (WI) Tornadoes 1850-2006 | last=Boyne | first=Jeff | publisher=NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | date=January 22, 2006 | access-date=November 29, 2007 | url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/tornado/adams.php}}</ref> The tornado killed two people and injured 22. It destroyed 24 homes, caused major damage to 8, and light to moderate damage to 160. It destroyed the Big Flats Fire Department, the Town Hall, and a thrift store. Seventy cows were crushed when a barn roof and an upper floor containing 16,000 bales of hay collapsed. The tornado caused $1 million in damage.<ref name="noaa"/>

===Cottonville Forest Fire===
Big Flats was the site of a devastating wildfire, the Cottonville Forest Fire, on May 5, 2005.<ref name="DNRAnvsry">{{cite press release|title=Cottonville fire anniversary sign unveiling at Big Flats |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |date=April 20, 2006 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url=http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/rbnews/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=128 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211065548/http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/rbnews/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=128 |archive-date=February 11, 2007 }}</ref> It started when a man 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.<ref name="crimnalComplaint">{{cite news|title=Text of wildfire criminal complaint |newspaper=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |date=May 26, 2005 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url=http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/WRT0101/51212034/1982 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070813123616/http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/WRT0101/51212034/1982 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 13, 2007 }}</ref> Smoke from the fire was spotted by the fire tower in [[Rome, Adams County, Wisconsin|Rome's]] Dyracuse Park.<ref name="tower">{{cite news|last=Madden |first=Karen |newspaper=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |title=Towers first line of wildfire defense |date=May 26, 2005 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url=http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/WRT0101/51212033/1982 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The fire spread in a north-northeast direction,<ref name="crimnalComplaint"/> along Roche A Cri Creek.<ref name="js">{{cite news|title=Man using fire to clear land ignited Cottonville blaze |last=Johnson |first=Annysa |author2=Bergquist, Lee |author3=Benson, Dan |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=May 7, 2005 |access-date=November 29, 2007 |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=324074 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922093734/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=324074 |archive-date=September 22, 2008 }}</ref> Smoke from the fire was visible from {{convert|60|mi}} away.<ref name="js"/> About 177 firefighters from 20 fire departments responded. [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]] (DNR) firefighters came from as far away as [[Hayward, Wisconsin|Hayward]]. Two DNR planes used to drop foam flew in from [[Minnesota]].<ref name="bigone">{{cite news|last=Madden |first=Karen |title=Fire chief describes 'the big one' |newspaper=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |date=May 11, 2005 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url=http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/WRT0101/51212031/1982 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> By the time it was contained 11 hours later, the flames had spread northward about {{convert|10|mi}}.<ref name="srcIDd">{{cite news|title=15 homes destroyed, fire source ID'd |newspaper=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |date=May 6, 2005 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url=http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/WRT0101/51212028/1982 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It burned approximately {{convert|3410|acre|km2}}, destroying 30 residences. Approximately 60 other out-buildings were also destroyed.<ref name="crimnalComplaint"/>

It was the biggest forest fire in Wisconsin since the Ekdall Church and Oak Lake Fires burned more than {{convert|16000|acre|km2}} in [[Washburn County, Wisconsin|Washburn]] and [[Burnett County, Wisconsin|Burnett]] counties April 21–22, 1980.<ref name="js"/><ref name="dnrEkdall">{{cite web | title=Ekdall Church-Oak Lake Fires | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | date=July 30, 2007 | access-date=November 29, 2007 | url=http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/fire/prevention/wui/ekdall.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112233907/http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/fire/prevention/wui/ekdall.htm | archive-date=November 12, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Thomas Barnhart was charged with setting a fire which became a forest fire, a [[misdemeanor]].<ref name="crimnalComplaint"/> He pleaded [[Nolo contendere|no contest]] and was sentenced to a local jail term of 90 days, which was stayed, with two years of [[probation]], 100 hours of [[community service]], and $150 per month of [[restitution]] which is applied to uninsured expenses of the victims.<ref name="ccapChg">{{cite web | title=State of Wisconsin vs. Thomas J. Barnhart Charge(s)/Sentence(s) | publisher=Wisconsin Court System | date=January 6, 2006 | access-date=November 28, 2007 | url=http://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetails.do;jsessionid=AAB2BEF9D592CBFF0C8964866CB61FB5.render2?countyNo=1&caseNo=2005CM000207&cacheId=7ED86883B13B81CC59B62B279C93FF07&recordCount=24&offset=11&mode=charges}}</ref> On November 13, 2006, the total amount of restitution owed was set at $1,436,504.<ref name="ccapEvnts">{{cite web | title=State of Wisconsin vs. Thomas J. Barnhart Court Record Events | publisher=Wisconsin Court System | date=November 13, 2006 | access-date=November 28, 2007 | url=http://wcca.wicourts.gov/courtRecordEvents.xsl;jsessionid=AAB2BEF9D592CBFF0C8964866CB61FB5.render2?caseNo=2005CM000207&countyNo=1&cacheId=7ED86883B13B81CC59B62B279C93FF07&recordCount=24&offset=11&linkOnlyToForm=false&sortDirection=ASC | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718150038/http://wcca.wicourts.gov/courtRecordEvents.xsl%3Bjsessionid%3DAAB2BEF9D592CBFF0C8964866CB61FB5.render2?caseNo=2005CM000207&countyNo=1&cacheId=7ED86883B13B81CC59B62B279C93FF07&recordCount=24&offset=11&linkOnlyToForm=false&sortDirection=ASC | archive-date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref>