Teenage babysitter sued after young boy starts fire

A 14-year-old girl in northern Alberta is being sued for $350,000 after a fire burned down the home where she was babysitting and damaged the home next door. In 2007, Aaliyah Braybrook, who was 12 at the time, was looking after two little boys in a trailer in Clairmont, just outside Grande Prairie. When she noticed the fire, she quickly got the children and the family pet out of the home and called 911.

Earlier this week, Aaliyah and Douglas Mills, the father of the two boys, were served with a statement of claim. They are being sued by Mills's parents, Kendall and Dian Mills, who live in the home damaged by the fire. In their statement of claim, the couple said Douglas Mills's five-year-old son Damien was playing with a cigarette lighter when the fire started. They said Aaliyah was too young and inexperienced as a babysitter.



Aaliyah's father said his daughter can't believe this is happening. "She's pretty angry that they would be trying to blame … like she feels like she's being blamed for this, and like the fire department and everybody at the time called her a hero for getting those kids out, and basically she saved their lives," said Ray Braybrook.

Braybrook said his daughter took babysitting courses and was well prepared to look after the children. He said he anticipates he will have to hire a lawyer to defend Aaliyah.

With news video.