SOMEONE could be setting trees in Norkem Park alight.
Another resident of the suburb’s palm tree burned down on Tuesday last week, a mere two weeks after a very similar incident. Both incidents took place in PA du Plessis Street.
Patty Ferreira said she woke up at about 2.45am. While in the bathroom, she saw it was very light outside. Just then, she said, her phone rang. It was her neighbour, telling her that the palm tree in their garden was burning.
She woke up her husband, Jan, mother Emma Jordaan, and daughter Emelia, and went outside.
They saw their palm tree, standing next to their fence, was on fire. Ferreira suspects someone is setting these trees alight.
The family called the fire brigade and started to dowse the flames themselves with a hose. They struggled for about an hour to put out the fire.
Ferreira said the fire brigade never showed up. When the first tree burned down, the fire brigade also did not show up, as the truck was diverted to a serious accident, according to William Ntladi, emergency services spokesman.
Ferreira would like to thank Norkem Park SAPS who immediately came over and waited with them. She also thanked her neighbours, Victor and Janine Rudolf, who alerted them of the fire and helped to extinguish it.
The disaster and emergency services failed to comment at the time of going to print.
