MILLTOWN, Wis. — Investigators are working to confirm if weather is to blame for a fire that destroyed a community staple in a small western Wisconsin town.
Witnesses say a tree fell on a power line during Monday's thunderstorms, and that sparked the blaze at the Milltown community center. Milltown is near Luck and Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.
"I stayed up and just watched from the window and could see slowly more and more smoke coming from this building and I realized, that place is on fire," said Peyton Hearn who lives across the street. "The roof kind of opened up all at once and flames went up as tall as these trees."
The fire destroyed the community center that opened in 1986. Before that, it was a school that Village President Larry Kuske attended as a child. He can't believe the building is now gone.
"Definitely, it’s an icon," said Kuske, who said crews had just finished remodeling the building after it was damaged by a fire that broke out at a nearby apartment building several years ago.
"Here we go again, but now it’s definitely worse because it’s not inhabitable at all," said Kuske.
He said people used the space for weddings, reunions and even funerals. Volunteers also packed food for Meals on Wheels in its kitchen.
Despite witness accounts, the local fire chief has not determined an official cause of the fire yet. Kuske said it was very windy with lots of lightning Monday night. An insurance adjuster is expected on scene Wednesday to inspect the damage and further research what may have started it.
"I think we need to start over," said Kuske. "I’m confident we will."