Homeowner faces felony for setting fire to his own property

A Port Arthur man is facing a first-degree felony after burning down his own home June 5. According to the probable cause affidavit used to secure an Aug. 23 grand jury indictment against Ricky Glenn Herring Jr., 37, it is believed that he started the fire to his home at 2601 62nd Street in an effort to avoid paying for the property to be condemned.

An individual who was reportedly living in his car across the street from Herring at the time told Deputy Fire Marshal Antonio Mitchell that he saw Herring start a fire inside a container and place it in the garage; he also reported seeing Herring run away from the scene after the fire began to grow.

At the time of the fire, Herring’s home was set to be red tagged and the bidding process to condemn the property was ongoing. According to public record, the city advised Herring that he would be responsible for the process, and he began to condemn the property himself without proper permits from the city.

“Ricky Herring was given a stop work order and told not to continue his actions,” said representatives of the Port Arthur Demolition Department. “It is believed that he started the fire to avoid paying for the property to be condemned.”