Hartland fire Chief Mike Walton. (CBC)People in the small community of Cloverdale, N.B., near Hartland are grieving the loss of their covered bridge and shaking their heads over the suspected cause.

The Adair bridge was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. Firefighters say there is evidence of arson.

"I think we found some evidence that would lead us that way," said Hartland fire Chief Mike Walton. "And I can't reveal at this time what that would be, because it's still under investigation."

'I thought I must have had a dream or a nightmare or something, because it was unreal.'—Witness Pauline Wallace

There was no hope of saving the bridge when firefighters arrived at 1:05 a.m., he said.

"Basically, the bridge was down. The top of it had burned off, and the floor had sagged to the stream level. It was still burning at that time."

On Thursday, there wasn't much left, apart from smoldering pieces of cribwork and steaming rocks in the abutment.

Memories lost

"I thought I must have had a dream or a nightmare or something, because it was unreal," said Pauline Wallace, who watched as the bridge burned.

Pauline Wallace said she remembers when the bridge was built in 1948. (CBC)Wallace, 84, remembers watching from her porch when the bridge was built in 1948.

She also watched when it underwent extensive renovations last year and can't understand why someone would set the bridge on fire.

"They don't have anything else to do, I guess. That must be it. I don't know what they were thinking. Well, they weren't thinking, that was it. Anyway, it's gone. Lot of memories with it."

New Brunswick now has just 62 covered bridges, compared with more than 400 a century ago.

No decision has been made on whether to replace the bridge, according to Department of Transportation officials.

If the bridge is replaced, the new one won't be covered. The last covered bridge built in the province was in 1951.