A man caused millions of dollars in damages after trying to cook a squirrel with a blow torch, according to police in Michigan.
Holland police said the man burned down 32 apartments while trying to cook the squirrel that he caught outside his girlfriend’s home.
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the girlfriend is responsible for the $2 million in damages as her name was written on the lease she had with her landlord.
A lower court had ruled that Barbara Pellows is responsible for just $15,000 of the damages.
According to the police investigation, Pellows’ boyfriend was using a torch to burn off the hair from the squirrel he caught outside their home.
The man planned to cook the squirrel, but he left the torch on the balcony and it started a fire. The flames destroyed 32 apartments in the building.
The building’s insurance company paid more than $2 million for repairs, and they filed a lawsuit against Pellows, to recover the costs.
The Court of Appeals ruled that although the boyfriend started the fire, since Pellows was on the lease, she was responsible for the damage.
However, the woman’s renters insurance carrier and the complex owners recently settled the case for $300,000.