DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa — Three people have been charged in a fire that caused over $800,000 in damage to a bike trail bridge.

Early Monday morning the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a fire at a bridge on the Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail on the east side of Adel. Multiple fire departments were called in to assist, as the location of the fire made it difficult to extinguish.

The bridge sustained significant damage in the fire, making it unsafe for use. According to Dallas County Conservation, the estimated cost to repair the bridge is roughly $896,000.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced that three people had been arrested in connection to the fire — Daniel Sheeder, 19, Ezra Coulter, 19, and Leola Pierce, 19. The sheriff’s office said the three bypassed a locked fence to access an area underneath the bridge and started a fire. They continued to add wood to the fire, making it grow significantly, until embers eventually ignited the bridge.

According to the sheriff’s office, evidence at the scene suggested that the three tried to put out the fire at one point to no avail, but didn’t call emergency services.

The three individuals are now facing multiple charges in the fire, including:

• Sheeder
  • Second-Degree Arson
  • First-Degree Criminal Mischief
  • Trespassing Causing Damage Over $300
• Coulter
  • First-Degree Criminal Mischief
  • Trespassing Causing Damage Over $300
  • Reckless Use of Fire
• Pierce
  • First-Degree Criminal Mischief
  • Trespassing Causing Damage Over $300
  • Reckless Use of Fire