Arsonist avoids jail time

A man responsible for setting up a number of home-made bombs inside his Welland apartment last year and then setting the home on fire will not get any jail time. The fire chief says if his crew had arrived on scene a minute later it could have been devastating.

Last fall, firefighters were called to Jason Grant’s apartment at 79 Park street in Welland. They arrived in 3 and a half minutes but what they were met with no one saw coming. Aerosol cans bound together, propane cylinders and ammunition scattered inside the second floor apartment. Fire crews crawled on their hands and knees, it wasn’t until after the smoke had cleared that they realized what they were fighting.

The court heard that Grant struggled with mental health issues over the last 10 years and tried to take his own life a number of times. This fire was his latest attempt but after the fire was set, Grant jumped out of his second floor window. No one was seriously hurt, but the roads were shut down and neighbours were told to stay inside for hours.

Grant has been barred from owning a weapon for 10 years and will be under house arrest for 9 months.