A fire that destroyed eight units at an apartment complex in Holland Township, Mich., is believed to have been sparked by a man using a propane torch to cook a squirrel for lunch, the fire chief said.

The resident was on a deck on the third floor of the Clearview Apartments. He was using a the torch to burn off the squirrel’s fur when the deck caught fire, Fire Chief Jim Kohsel told MLive.com.

The resident, whose name was not released, was removing the animal’s fur in preparation to eat it, Kohsel said, according to mlive.com.

Flames spread to the roof and other parts of the building. Eight apartments were destroyed and two dozen other units were damaged by smoke and water, the fire chief said.

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

The unusual cause of the blaze quickly became the talk at area fire stations.

“That’s about as off-the-wall as it gets,” Plainfield Township Fire Chief David Peterson told mlive.com.

More content from NBCNews.com:

• Dottie Sandusky in letter to judge: 'Jerry is not the monster'
• Firefighters in pink? Bristol, Conn., mayor now OK with cancer fundraiser
• BP, Obama administration reportedly near deal on Gulf spill
• Stun gun used on pizza deliveryman leads to jail instead of food
• Why did environmental nonprofit donate to conservative pro-coal group?
• Video: Drought brings skunks to golf course

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook