Overview
- Bryce James Campbell was arrested in Southfield, Michigan, and is jailed pending extradition to Minnesota.
- Prosecutors charged him with three counts of first-degree arson and one count of insurance fraud in state court in Grand Marais.
- Investigators identified the fire’s origin in the lodge’s southwest basement and detected residue similar to an accelerant near a water heater, while the State Fire Marshal classifies the cause as undetermined.
- The complaint outlines heavy debts, insurance limits raised from about $8.5 million to $11 million and then $13 million before the blaze, and a $16.6 million claim filed months later.
- Evidence cited includes Campbell’s presence at the lodge around 11:45 p.m. before the 12:24 a.m. fire call and private messages with his husband that referenced “burn it.”