News: Medford Forest Fire (16 May 1940)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surname: Bangsberg

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 5/21/2015

Originally published in The Star News, May 16, 1940

A forest fire that was sighted at 9 o’clock Saturday morning in the town of Cleveland, and which swept a swath two miles in length and a mile in width as it roared its way into the town of Grover, was finally brought under control early Monday morning, according to Ralph Bangsberg, superintendent at Camp Perkinstown.

The fire was reported to have been a set fire that wrecked havoc with between 1,000 and 1,200 acres of various kinds of timber growth.

Called to the scene to help fight the fire were approximately 400 men, camp officials stated Monday. These consisted at the onset of about 75 CCC men; later was swelled to the above number by approximately 200 additional CCC enrollees. 75 came from the Rib Mountain camp at Wausau; 55 from the Riley Creek camp at Park Falls; 30 from Clam Lake, north of Park Falls; 40 from Camp Rusk, west of Perkinstown. One hundred civilians also helped. About 40 persons from Medford assisted in fighting the fire.