Arson suspect in custody

Beaver Creek resident Matthew Johnson, 39, was arrested on September 2 and charged with attempted arson in the second degree.

On August 29, the Skamokawa Fire Department, the Skamokawa ambulance, deputies, and the Department of Natural Resources responded to a brush fire near Vista Park. According to a deputy’s report, there were four locations where fires had been extinguished, including an area, 30 x 30 feet, which drew near the shop building at Vista Park. A DNR investigator said that he believed that accelerant had been used to start the fire.

Video footage showed Johnson exiting the shop with a can of diesel within minutes of the fire being reported.

His bail was set at $5,000 and he is currently being held at Wahkiakum County Jail. He is scheduled to return to Superior Court on September 14 at 9:30 a.m. for a pretrial hearing.

Johnson was an employee of Vista Park.