A rural Dent man was arrested and charged with arson following the burning of a bridge just past midnight and into the early-morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 6, on the west side of Star Lake.
Arrested was 43-year-old Ryan Curtis Johnson. He owns a house very close to the bridge.
Earlier, about eight minutes past midnight, the sheriff’s office received a report that the bridge located near County Highway 41 and Boathouse Drive near Star Lake was on fire.
The exact location was 1.5 miles south of State Highway 108 which runs between Maplewood State Park and Dent.
It appeared that gasoline was deliberately poured onto the bridge and set afire. Several propane tanks were also found near the bridge.
A large portion of the bridge structure is wood.