Custodianship Liability and Burden of Proof in Fire Damage Cases

A lower court wrongly held an individual liable for damages resulting from a fire that started on their property, based solely on the presumption of liability established by the law governing things in one's custody, without considering whether the individual could prove that the fire was caused by an external, unavoidable event or the fault of a third party. The reviewing court overturned the decision, reiterating that the owner or custodian of the object causing the damage can be exonerated from liability if they demonstrate that the cause was due to an unforeseeable and insurmountable external event or the fault of a third party, which the lower court failed to properly assess.