Police Chief's cigarette sparks care home inferno

A routine response to a false 911 call in August led to a devastating fire at the Vienna Point Residential Care Center, with surveillance footage later identifying Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson as the cause. While responding to the incident on August 7, Chief Thompson extinguished a cigarette in a plastic planter located in the care home's entryway.

Investigators initially ruled the fire's cause as undetermined, citing strong winds. However, after the insurer submitted surveillance footage, it became clear that Thompson's actions ignited the planter. Despite the footage, investigators concluded the fire was accidental, as the cigarette showed no smoldering embers.

The blaze, which began less than two hours after Thompson's departure, rapidly consumed the building. Although the care home was declared a total loss, no residents or staff were injured. The Maries County Prosecutor's office is still investigating, and has not yet decided whether to press charges against Chief Thompson.