Three blocks sealed ff. Fire crews and special equipment was brought in from a 40-mile radius. Image: Tomah Fire Department
Most of Ho-Chunk museum collection salvaged
TOMAH, Wis. – Flames broke out about 6 p.m. and quickly spread through side-by-side downtown Tomah businesses, some with shared walls, and also destroyed walk-up second-floor apartments. As far as was known initially, everyone in the buildings escaped. Police closed off three blocks of the Superior Avenue main drag between Juneau and LaCrosse streets. Superior Avenue, a north-south street, connects to the Interstate Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 interchanges into Tomah. The plume was visibe from both interstates as dusk fell. Among threatened spaces was the Ho-Chunk Nation museum. A tribal official said several individuals acted quickly and removed 90% of the collection. Destroyed was a central business in the block — Sassy Girl Aroma, which sells scented waxes and candles. Firefighters were summoned from other fire departments – Black River Falls, 31 miles away; Cutler, 16 miles; Elroy, 33 miles; Hixton, 41 miles; Mauston, 28 miles; New Lisbon, 21 miles; Norwalk, 17 miles; Oakdale, 7 miles; Volk Field 14 miles; Warrens, 11 miles; and Wes Salem, 30 miles. Fire Chief Tim Adler said he expected crews to be on-site through the night.
Previous fire
Thus was the second large building fire in Tomah in recent months. In November a block away, also on Superior Avenue, fire destroyed the Peking Chinese restaurant and upstairs apartments. That too was a block of densely packed older storefronts.