Repair work sparks second fire on Ottumwa pedestrian bridge

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - Crews starting work to repair arson damage on a pedestrian bridge in Ottumwa accidentally set the bridge on fire again.

The fire on the Wabash pedestrian bridge sent smoke rising above the Des Moines River in Ottumwa just after noon Monday. The smoke and flames from the fire were visible from the KYOU Ottumwa CityCam.

Ottumwa Fire Chief Tony Miller told KYOU that crews just starting repair work on the bridge sparked embers that ignited the bridge. He says it took firefighters about an hour and a half to put out this fire.

The bridge has been closed since a suspicious fire in December that remains unsolved. Chief Miller said investigators have exhausted most options to find out who was responsible for starting that fire and are asking anyone with information to contact the Ottumwa Fire Department.