LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Court of Appeals says a woman whose boyfriend started a large apartment building fire while preparing to cook a squirrel is liable for up to $2 million in damages.
The Holland Sentinel and MLive.com reported that the court Tuesday reversed an earlier ruling that limited Barbara Pellow's damages to about $15,000.
Authorities say Pellow's boyfriend in 2012 was using a torch to burn the fur off a squirrel while on a deck at Clearview Apartments in Ottawa County's Holland Township. He planned to cook the squirrel but left the torch burning, and it sparked the fire.
The flames damaged 32 units in the building. An insurance company paid more than $2 million for repairs and sued Pellow to recover costs since she was registered tenant, not the boyfriend.