A homeless street drinker set light to the bedding of a woman sleeping in a store doorway before watching it take hold and then walking away as it burned.
Dean Clee had been drinking in Great Yarmouth before getting involved in a conversation with the victim, who was rough sleeping in the doorway of the Clarks shoe store in King Street.
Norwich Crown Court heard the 49-year-old make attempts to "get into her bedding", which the victim refused.
Richard White, prosecuting, said that when she said no, he started threatening her, telling the woman he would "f*****g hurt her in a big way".
Mr White said the victim then heard Clee "clicking" his lighter.
The woman went to sleep but woke up with her right leg feeling "very hot" and could "feel something was burning."
Although she was in a bit of a "daze," she realised "her leg was on fire".
The court heard Clee had set the fire just before 6.10am on October 9 last year before walking away after seeing it had taken hold.
The victim woke up a couple of minutes later and suffered "blistering" to her leg.
The fire also resulted in £6,000 worth of damage to the Clarks store.
Clee, of no fixed abode, was arrested a few hours later.
The defendant, who has 42 convictions for 70 previous offences, appeared at court on Tuesday after admitting arson with intent to endanger life and criminal damage.
Judge Katharine Moore said Clee had an "aggressive and bullying nature when in drink".
In setting light to the victim's bedding before leaving after spending a couple of minutes watching the fire grow, Judge Moore said he made no attempt either to put the fire out or get help from others.
"But rather you left her in callous disregard of her safety," said Judge Moore.
In imposing an extended 10-year sentence, made up of five years custody and five years on licence, Judge Moore said she had concluded he was a dangerous offender.
She said he "lacked empathy, remorse and insight."
Andrew Thompson, mitigating, said Clee finds it "hard to articulate why he acted in that way in that moment when he’s not done so before".
Mr Thompson said it was a "very serious offence" and a marked escalation from what had gone before.
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