ADA, Minn. - A rural Ada man is charged in Norman County District Court with first-degree arson for allegedly setting his house on fire.
Ryan T. Grindahl, 31, is accused of setting fire to his home north of Ada on March 31.
According to court documents:
No one was home at the time the fire was reported. After the fire was put out, investigators discovered a large amount of fuel oil had drained from a tank in the basement and that a valve on the fuel oil tank had been left open.
Investigators spoke to Grindahl's wife, who said she had not lived in the home for two years but suspected the fire was arson.
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She told investigators she had recently filed for divorce and that Grindahl had told her if she ever left him he would burn the house down so she wouldn't end up with it.
Witnesses told investigators Grindahl was seen leaving the area of the home around the time the fire is believed to have started.
Authorities in Pennington County arrested Grindahl after they responded to a report of a burglary at a shop in rural Thief River Falls.
After Grindahl was interviewed by a deputy state fire marshal regarding the fire at his home, Grindahl allegedly assaulted a Pennington County deputy, seriously injuring the deputy.
Grindahl faces several charges in Pennington County including a felony assault charge and a charge of criminal damage to property.
