Mar 17, 2022

Sheriff: Fire that destroyed Saline County bridge was arson

Posted Mar 17, 2022 4:51 PM
Wooden planks burn on a bridge at the N. Simpson Road-Campbell Road  intersection. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office
Wooden planks burn on a bridge at the N. Simpson Road-Campbell Road  intersection. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post

The Saline County Sheriff's Office is investigating as arson an early Wednesday morning fire that destroyed a wooden bridge in the northern part of the county.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that a motorist driving on Interstate 70 first reported the fire just after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. As it turned out, the fire actually was on a wooden bridge that connected some farmland with the "T" intersection of N. Simpson Road and Campbell Road, a short distance south of the interstate.

Burning planks drop into the box culvert.
Burning planks drop into the box culvert.

The fire completely destroyed the wooden planks of the bridge owned by Saline County and is believed to have damaged a wall of the box culvert underneath. Loss was estimated at $6,000. Soldan said investigators believe the fire was started with an accelerant.

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