It’s been over a year since a fire damaged the home of Carl Maley in east Garnett. A person of interest in that fire has not yet been located. Anderson County Sheriff Vern Valentines says his office and the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office have been unable to locate that person. A direct connection was never established and there is no real evidence that the person actually set the fire, or was just in the area. That fact would probably persuade a judge to not issue a warrant. County Fire Chief Mick Brinkmeyer listed the cause of the fire as incendiary and was contained to the kitchen and utility room with smoke and water damage to the rest of the home. There were no injuries. The person of interest in the incident reportedly told family members he did not plan to stay in the area long and was trying to find transportation north even before the blaze occurred. A Kansas Bureau of Investigation report from last year noted arson overall was down in 2018 nearly 14% from the 10-year average, but up by 4.2% over 2017.
