Georgia · Troup County · Crime & Courts
West Point, GA Arson Arrest: Dakota Fuller, 30, Charged in Jim Turner Road House Fire
Deputies and firefighters were called to a house on Jim Turner Road before dawn on Aug. 9. Investigators concluded the fire had been set on purpose while people were inside the home. A West Point man now faces first-degree arson and aggravated assault charges.
Key facts
- What
- A house fire that investigators determined had been intentionally set with occupants inside
- Where
- 464 Jim Turner Road, Troup County, Georgia
- When
- Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, about 5:26 a.m.
- Charged
- Dakota Fuller, 30, of West Point
- Charges
- Arson in the first degree; aggravated assault
- Injured
- None reported
- Responded
- Troup County Sheriff's Office and Troup County Fire Department
- Investigating
- The Fire Marshal's Division and Troup County Fire Department fire investigators, working with sheriff's deputies
- Status
- Charged, not convicted. Additional related charges remain under review
- What happened at the Jim Turner Road house fire?
- Who was arrested, and what is he charged with?
- Where is Jim Turner Road, and why did the sheriff's office respond?
- What does first-degree arson require in Georgia?
- What does an aggravated assault charge require?
- Who determines how a fire started in Troup County?
- What we don't know yet
- Frequently asked questions
What happened at the Jim Turner Road house fire?
Deputies with the Troup County Sheriff's Office and firefighters with the Troup County Fire Department were called to a residential structure fire at 464 Jim Turner Road on Aug. 9 at about 5:26 a.m., the LaGrange Daily News reported.
The fire, that account said, was determined to have been intentionally set with occupants inside. The Fire Marshal's Division and fire investigators with the fire department were notified at that time.
"Troup County Fire Department personnel quickly contained the blaze, preventing further damage to the home and surrounding properties," the LaGrange Daily News reported.
WSB-TV reported the same fire, placing it early in the morning on Aug. 9 at a home on Jim Turner Road, and attributed that account to the Troup County Fire Marshal's Office.
No injuries have been reported.
Who was arrested, and what is he charged with?
Fire investigators and sheriff's deputies identified the suspect as Dakota Fuller, 30, of West Point, through a joint investigation, according to the LaGrange Daily News. He was taken into custody without incident.
Fuller is charged with arson in the first degree and aggravated assault, the LaGrange Daily News reported. WSB-TV reported the same two charges, and reported that Fuller was arrested without incident according to Troup County officials.
Fuller is charged, not convicted. Both counts are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless the state proves its case in court.
Additional related charges remain under review, the LaGrange Daily News reported. WSB-TV reported that the matter remains under review and that additional, related charges have not been ruled out.
No motive has been made public. WSB-TV reported that officials did not share a potential motive for the alleged arson.
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Where is Jim Turner Road, and why did the sheriff's office respond?
The address given by the LaGrange Daily News is in Troup County, on Georgia's western edge along the Alabama line. Neither agency has said whether the home sits inside any city limits. Fuller is described by both outlets as a West Point resident.
The county sheriff's reach explains the response. The Troup County Sheriff's Office provides daily law enforcement throughout the county, "specifically in the unincorporated areas but often within the city limits of LaGrange, Hogansville, and West Point," according to Troup County's government website.
What does first-degree arson require in Georgia?
First-degree arson is the most serious of Georgia's arson offenses. It is a felony, codified at O.C.G.A. § 16-7-60, and it is the grade Georgia applies to fires involving a dwelling — a place where people live.
Three facts in the agencies' account bear on the charge that was filed. The building was a home. The fire was determined to have been set intentionally rather than started by accident, which is the finding the LaGrange Daily News attributed to the joint investigation. And people were inside the house when it was set.
What does an aggravated assault charge require?
Aggravated assault, at O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21, is an assault raised to a felony by an aggravating circumstance — an assault committed with intent to murder, for instance, or one carried out with a weapon or an object likely to cause serious bodily injury.
The underlying offense does not require that anyone actually be hurt. An assault in Georgia is an attempt at violent injury, or an act that puts another person in reasonable fear of one. Injury makes a case worse; it is not what makes it a case.
That distinction is what matters here. No one has been reported injured in the Jim Turner Road fire, and an aggravated assault count was filed anyway. Neither agency has said publicly what conduct each of the two counts is alleged to cover.
| Count | Georgia code section | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Arson in the first degree | O.C.G.A. § 16-7-60 | Charged — not convicted |
| Aggravated assault | O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21 | Charged — not convicted |
| Additional related charges | Not specified | Under review; not ruled out |
Charges as reported by the LaGrange Daily News and WSB-TV. Code sections are the Georgia offenses those charge names correspond to; no charging document has been published.
Who determines how a fire started in Troup County?
In Troup County that responsibility belongs to the fire marshal. The county's Fire Prevention and Protection Division was created by county ordinance under Chapter 62, Article IV, and its duties include the "investigation of the origin, cause and circumstances of fires," according to Troup County's government website.
That is the division at the center of this case. The LaGrange Daily News reported the Fire Marshal's Division and fire investigators with the fire department were notified once the fire was determined to have been set with people inside. WSB-TV attributed its account of when and where the fire happened to the Troup County Fire Marshal's Office.
Georgia also runs a statewide tip line for these cases. Troup County publishes the Georgia Arson Hotline number, 1-800-282-5804, as a toll-free line that "offers rewards of up to $10,000.00 if callers provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of an arsonist," and says callers and reward recipients may remain anonymous.
What we don't know yet
- A motive. WSB-TV reported that officials did not share one.
- How many people were inside the home. Neither agency has released that, and no occupant has been identified.
- How the fire was started, and how badly the house was damaged beyond the containment the fire department described.
- Fuller's custody status and bond, and whether a first appearance has been held.
- Whether the additional related charges still under review will be filed.
- Any relationship between Fuller and the people who were inside the home.
- Whether Fuller has retained or been appointed an attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Troup County house fire happen?
At 464 Jim Turner Road in Troup County, Georgia, according to the LaGrange Daily News. WSB-TV placed it at a home on Jim Turner Road.
When did the fire happen?
On Aug. 9, 2026, at about 5:26 a.m., the LaGrange Daily News reported. WSB-TV described it as early in the morning on Aug. 9.
Who was arrested?
Dakota Fuller, 30, of West Point. Fire investigators and sheriff's deputies identified him through a joint investigation, and he was taken into custody without incident, the LaGrange Daily News reported.
What is Dakota Fuller charged with?
Arson in the first degree and aggravated assault. Both charges were reported by the LaGrange Daily News and by WSB-TV.
Has Dakota Fuller been convicted of anything?
No. He has been charged, not convicted. Both counts are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless the state proves its case in court.
Was anyone hurt in the fire?
No injuries have been reported. Investigators determined the fire was set while occupants were inside the home.
What was the motive?
No motive has been made public. WSB-TV reported that officials did not share a potential motive for the alleged arson.
Are more charges possible?
Additional related charges remain under review, the LaGrange Daily News reported. WSB-TV reported that the matter remains under review and that additional, related charges have not been ruled out.
Who investigates the cause of a fire in Troup County?
The county's Fire Prevention and Protection Division, created by county ordinance under Chapter 62, Article IV, lists the investigation of the origin, cause and circumstances of fires among its duties, according to Troup County's government website.
Sources
Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from the named news outlets and Troup County's published agency information, each linked above. The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.
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