Insurance letter alleges Vienna Pointe fire was started by deputy's cigarette; sheriff says dispatch logs refute claim

Deputy Accused of Causing Vienna Pointe Fire

A deputy from the Maries County Sheriff's Office has been accused of involvement in a fire that completely destroyed the Vienna Pointe assisted living facility in August.

Insurance Letter Claims Deputy’s Cigarette Started Fire

ABC 17 News obtained a letter sent in September to the sheriff's department from insurance representatives for Vienna Pointe. The letter stated that surveillance footage showed a cigarette that was improperly extinguished, allegedly by a sheriff's deputy, as the cause of the fire.

Sheriff Refutes Allegations Based on Dispatch Logs

Sheriff Mark Morgan responded by citing dispatch logs, which indicated no deputies were present at Vienna Pointe during the hours leading up to the fire.

“My first thought is I go back and I look at our logs. We sent a deputy, however, the deputy was disregarded approximately 30 to 40 seconds after he went en route.”

Morgan identified a 911 hang-up call about 90 minutes before the fire, but noted that the sheriff’s office did not respond to it; instead, the Vienna Police Department did.

“But the sheriff's department did not respond to that call, the Vienna PD responded to the 911 hang up.”

Deputies’ Role After Fire Started

Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene only after the fire had begun. Their duties were limited to controlling traffic on surrounding streets.

Summary

This case highlights conflicting accounts between insurance claims and official dispatch records regarding the cause of the Vienna Pointe fire.

Author’s summary: Conflicting reports arose about a deputy’s alleged role in a fire, but dispatch logs show no deputies were present before it started.

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ABC17NEWS ABC17NEWS — 2025-11-08

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