UPDATE:

CARROLL COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Carroll County deputies concluded their investigation of a bridge fire on County Road 64.

The investigation led deputies to one juvenile from Winona and two young men from the Vaiden area.

The teens were questioned in the presence of their parents. Investigators determined that there was no criminal intent involved in the burning.

Deputies said the boys were fishing and lit a cardboard box on fire to keep mosquitoes away, and they believed they had extinguished the flames. However, investigators said it appears that the creosote-coated wood reignited after they left the scene.

Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker said he found no cause for criminal charges, but he would forward his investigation over to the Carroll County Board of Supervisors in case they want to pursue civil damages against the parents.

CARROLL COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A Carroll County bridge was damaged by a fire on Monday, September 11.

Deputies said the Carroll County EOC received a call just before 7:30 a.m. concerning a bridge fire.

Firefighters and deputies were dispatched to County Road 64 in the McCarley are behind Bailey Lake. The fire was extinguished, but it caused extensive damage to the bridge.

Authorities said the cause of the fire has been determined to be arson.

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.

  • A Carroll County bridge was damaged by a fire on Monday, September 11. (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)
  • A Carroll County bridge was damaged by a fire on Monday, September 11. (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)

“We will not stand for the destruction of county property. A fire can jeopardize the structural integrity of bridges which can prevent access to residents by first responders during an emergency. This is not simply a vandalism problem, this could have put lives in danger,” said Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker.