Bruce, Wisconsin
7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1948 and the latest in 1980. It stands in Bruce Village. It lies in ZIP code area 54819. It stands on Thornapple River. The Survey maps it on the Bruce quadrangle. 781 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,106 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBruce grew from 779 to 781 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 779 | |
| 2020 | 781 | +2 (+0%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 7 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1948 USGS Weyerhauser quadrangle1:48000
- 1950 USGS Weyerhauser quadrangle1:48000
- 1953 USGS Rice Lake quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Rice Lake quadrangle1:250000
- 1972 USGS Bruce quadrangle1:24000
- 1980 USGS Bloomer quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
83 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 83 fires within 5 miles of Bruce between 1992 and 2019, burning about 102 acres in total. None started naturally. 7 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 30 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 15 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Smoking | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 7 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2000 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 September 2012 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | HWY E DB |
| 17 September 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | TRAILS END ROAD |
| 13 August 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | DAM RD FIRE |
| 9 July 1992 | Smoking | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 July 2013 | Fireworks | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | THORNAPPLE RD. FIRE |
| 25 July 1998 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 21 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 21 workings within 5 miles of Bruce: 15 occurrences, 5 past producers, 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amocoy Lake Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Apollonia Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Bruce Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Chippewa River Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Devils Creek Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Hay Creek Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Hay Creek Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| High Notch Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| High Range Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Highway Edge Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
37 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bruce in 37 storm reports between 1996 and 2024: 19 hail, 15 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Bruce | 1 hurt | At least 6 inches of rain led to flooding of Clear Creek near Hwy 40 and County Road H. Normally 10 feet wide, it swelled to 100 yards wide. County Road H Bridge and nearby approaches washed out. Camper and farm machinery swept away. Basements flooded. Creek also flowed across Hwy 40. One man slightly injured when he drove into washed out bridge approach. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | $150,000 | A NWS Storm Survey indicated wind damage occurred north of Bruce, and tracked eastward for several miles. The wind downed numerous trees, damaged a barn and outbuilding northwest of Ladysmith. Winds were estimated up to 75 mph as most of the barn roof was damaged or lifted off. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | $25,000 | There were approximately 20-30 trees that were blown down on the roadways with most being poplar or dead hardwoods. There were also some houses that were damaged from downed trees in Bruce. |
| June 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Bruce | $20,000 | A tornado moved toward the north-northwest and struck a farm toward the end of its path. The roof of a shed was lifted up and pushed, some concrete blocks were knocked over. Siding of a house was ripped off. A few trees were downed. The starting point was based on video. Three videos were available. The damage survey of the farm was provided by a storm chaser. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Bruce | - | There was a swath of large hail, the largest was hen size northeast of Ladysmith that occurred from north of Bruce, east-southeast to Hawkins. Radar data, which kept the intensity throughout the storm that moved across Rusk County was used for timing and length. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Several power lines were blown down southwest of Ladysmith, along Strom Road. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | A few power lines were blown down near Bruce, Wisconsin. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Bruce | - | Winds also gusted to 50 mph in Bruce. |
| May 2009 | Hail | Bruce | - | Nickel size hail covered the ground two miles north of Bruce. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Many trees toppled, power pole downed, and some trees blocking Highway 8. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | A tree was downed in Big Bend Township. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | A large tree blocked a road. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Power lines down. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Several trees down. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Several trees toppled across road. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Trees down. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Large trees down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | Trees down. Estimated windspeed. |
| May 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Bruce | - | Trees and power lines down. |
| September 1997 | Hail | Bruce | - | Tree limbs also reported down in area. |
| September 2024 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bruce | - | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Hail | Bruce | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollonia | 1.6 miles | 7 | |
| Thornapple | 4.3 miles | 7 | |
| Flambeau Estates | 5.5 miles | 7 | |
| Port Arthur | 6.2 miles | 7 | |
| Rivers Edge | 6.5 miles | 7 | |
| Imalone | 7.0 miles | 8 | |
| Weyerhaeuser | 7.5 miles | 7 | |
| Ladysmith | 9.0 miles | 7 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Bruce | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1830270 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1562279. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.





