Marijuana grower gets 7-year jail term for starting $3.8M Citadel fire

CALGARY - The man whose basement marijuana grow-operation erupted into fire last December, destroying eight homes in the community of Citadel, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Friday.

"This crime struck at the heart of community well-being," Judge Anne Brown told the court as she sentenced Russell Hugh McDougall.

McDougall had been operating a marijuana grow in the basement of his rented home. The cause of the blaze were electrical problems related to the equipment and illegal bypasses used to grow the marijuana.

The blaze broke out in the early morning hours of Dec. 5 during a raging snow storm that hampered efforts of the fire department to arrive at the scene and fight the fire.

McDougall arrived home just as the fire started. He tried to save his dogs, but then left the scene without calling 911 or alerting any of his neighbours.

Many of them escaped with only moments to spare and with just the clothes on their backs.

Brown sentenced McDougall to seven years and 45 days in prison after giving him a credit of roughly 10 months of time already spent in custody.

"I think that we're satisfied with the outcome," Brian Cripps, who lost his home to the fire, said outside the courtroom. "I think the judge reached a good balance between our current situation and, of course, Russell's future as well."

rcuthbertson@theherald.canwest.com