Bozeman Man Arrested For Arson on His Own Home

A Bozeman man is facing charges for setting fire to his own house. Richard Bruce Ferrie, 71, was arrested when he was stopped by law enforcement after fleeing from his home that was on fire in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 26th.

Neighbors who called in the fire also reported a vehicle leaving the scene at a high rate of speed. An officer responding to the fire spotted a truck on 19th Ave that matched the neighbor's description of a white 1998 Ford super cab pickup. The arresting officer, it turns out, was also a volunteer fireman of ten years and recognized the distinct smell of a structure fire on Ferrie, who was driving.

Subsequent investigation included camera footage from Ferrie’s neighbors that showed smoke coming from the residence before Ferrie’s vehicle left the area. According to court documents, Ferrie was pulled over less than 10 minutes after the initial call came in reporting the fire.

The house is located at 319 Red Fox Lane. In his interview with officers at the Law & Justice Center, Ferrie revealed that he was in the process of selling the house, but that he was also in default of the mortgage for the past two years.