Authorities suspect arson in Madison County covered bridge fire
One of Madison County’s iconic covered bridges was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning — and Madison County Sheriff Jason Barnes doesn't believe it was an accident.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office received a report of the fire at the Cedar Bridge at about 6 a.m. The bridge was fully engulfed by the time fire crews and law enforcement got to the scene, according to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
Barnes says there was no electricity or light source at the bridge and no severe weather or lightning in the area, so the fire will be investigated as arson.
Barnes called the famed bridge a "total loss."
"It’s pretty bad," Barnes said. "When you think of Madison County, you think of those bridges. It’s a direct attack."
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The original Cedar Bridge was built in 1883 before it burned in 2002. Investigators quickly determined that fire to be arson, but no arrests were ever made. About a year later, another Madison County bridge was the target of arsonists; the Hogback Bridge sustained minimal damage when it was set on fire in September 2003.
The Cedar Bridge was rebuilt and reopened in 2004. Barnes said he believes the reconstruction cost about $1 million.
Before the Cedar Bridge fire in 2002, the last time Madison County had lost a bridge to arson — the McBride Bridge — was in 1983. Authorities arrested a local man.
It was the Cedar Bridge that graced the cover of Robert Waller's best-selling book "The Bridges of Madison County."
The author visited some of the covered bridges in October 2002, but not the Cedar. It was just a month after it had burned.
"I don't know if I'm up to it," he said at the time.
Waller offered a $10,000 reward for information that led to the arrest of whoever set fire to Cedar Bridge.
Barnes said there are no security devices surrounding the bridge. He noted the sheriff's office didn't have any suspects on Saturday morning.
"All we know is somebody's upset about something," Barnes said. "I don't know what and I don't know why. There's still a lot of questions."
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Madison County Sheriff's Office at 515-462-3575.
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CEDAR BRIDGE HISTORY
BUILT: The original Cedar Bridge was built in 1883.
POPULARITY: The bridge was located near Winterset and was the last covered bridge in Madison County that allowed vehicles.
FAME: The bridge was featured on the cover of Robert Waller's international best seller "The Bridges of Madison County."
FIRE: It was destroyed by fire once before, in 2002.
