Lake Benton firefighter accused of setting local bar on fire

Lake Benton firefighter accused of setting local bar on fire Joey Swanson KSTP Courtesy: Lincoln County Jail. A Lake Benton firefighter has been charged after he admitted to setting a local bar on fire, according to court records. According to a criminal complaint, Jameson John Vermaat was charged with second-degree arson and criminal damage to property after he allegedly broke into Homer’s Bar and set two fires in the basement with paper and cardboard. Investigators say they found the rear patio door had been forced open, and the tools used to open it were linked to Vermaat. The complaint says valuable items were still inside the bar, including televisions, cash, bottles and kitchen items, and investigators concluded the fire was intentional. About a week ago, Vermaat was interviewed by investigators and he allegedly told them he did not think the fire would smolder and cause that much damage, according to the complaint. Court records say that the damage was more than $1,000 and Vermaat is being held in custody.