An arsonist burned nearly three miles of grass on both sides of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet levee from Violet nearly to Verret in eastern St. Bernard this week, drawing the ire of officials of the Levee District in St. Bernard Parish, members of the Council, the Fire Chief and Corps of Engineers.

“It had to be set,’’ said Bob Turner, manager of the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District in St. Bernard, which does routine maintenance on the MR-GO levee for the Corps of Engineers which has jurisdiction over the levee. He said there was conjuncture that hunters may have done the damage.

The blaze, discovered early morning on Wednesday, “destroyed vegetation that prevents erosion’’ of the levee, Turner said. “It’s the worst time of year’’ because of hurricane season, he said.

He said whoever set the blaze could face charges of damaging a levee and asked that anyone with information call the Lake Borgne Levee District at (504) 682-5941 or the St. Bernard Fire Department.

Turner said the fire stretched from near the locks or control structure at Bayou Dupre and the MR-GO at Violet Canal to Verret.

Corps officials were very upset, Turner said. “It took 18 months for the grass to grow’’ after Hurricane Katrina’s flooding scoured the levee. “They (the Corps) spent a lot of money treating the soil and re-seeded it at least three times’’ before the Bermuda grass took hold and grew in nicely, Turner said.

He said it would be expensive to re-seed again.

Fire Chief Thomas Stone said, “in spots the grass is completely gone.’’

St. Bernard Council member Mark Madary said it is incredulous anyone in St. Bernard who knows of the problems the parish has faced because of the MR-GO would do something to harm the levee system.

“It constitutes a callous disregard for the safety of our community,’’ Madary said. “The absurdity of someone damaging the levee by fire after the community has fought so hard to get the Corps of Engineers to provide us this level of protection.’’