One of the woman's daughters died in the parking lot fire.
People who travel overnight in recreational vehicles and vans are welcome at Walmart.
The suit sheds light on the practice.
RVers and other drivers looking to sleep in their cars have gone to the Walmart parking lots for years. A new lawsuit has raised questions about that practice.
The incident took place during the early morning of August 6, 2019.
According to the lawsuit, the fire started when a man and woman from California moved their 2005 Dodge Caravan to a spot next to McKenzie's car. The girls were sleeping inside the car.
The California man had used a camping stove to make breakfast on the pavement that morning and stored the stove in the back of his vehicle "without waiting for it to cool and tossed some bedding on top of the cook stove." He went into the store after moving the vehicle to a spot next to the store.
According to a report by The Miami Herald's Mitchell Willetts, the man who lit up and stored the camping stove was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2020.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court in Minnesota. The suit is asking for a large sum of money.
"Our sympathies remain with the friends and family impacted by this tragic event three years ago," a Walmart spokesman told Insider. We intend to defend the company and respond to the complaint in court.
RV-based customers, as well as other drivers who choose to spend the night in its lots, have historically been welcomed by Walmart.
Walmart doesn't offer electrical service or accommodations for RV customers, but considers them among their best customers, according to a FAQ page on its website. RV parking is allowed on our parking lots. Permission to park is granted by individual store managers.
Many campers and individuals are opting for an RV-based lifestyle because of the big box giant. Those days might be over. CNN reported in 2020 that the number of Walmart stores that allowed overnight RV parking had plummeted.
Business Insider has an article on it.
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