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Lake Benton firefighter accused of setting local bar on fire
Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford
Editor-in-Chief · Edina, MN
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
More from Katherine →Editor-in-Chief · Friday, November 13, 2026 at 6:53 PM · 1 min read
A Lake Benton firefighter has been charged after he admitted to setting a local bar on fire, according to court records.
The Details
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.
About This Story
Local news from Lakeville Current
Coverage Area
Lakeville, Minnesota
Section
Real Estate
Published
Friday, November 13, 2026
Reading Time
1 min
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