A frightening fireworks experience
MIDRAND – A resident whose house nearly burned down, possibly because of fireworks, urges community members to use them more safely.
Thanks to the Noordwyk community’s efforts, a home has been saved from a potentially devastating fire.
The house was nearly burnt down on 27 October after fireworks used during Diwali celebrations presumably set some trees alight. According to the owner of the house which is on an agricultural holding, Patricia Nementzik, she was sitting outside with her family on Sunday evening. She went inside her house to charge her cell phone when her children began calling her, asking if they could swim. “I told them I would be with them and when I went out to my patio, I saw fire and suddenly realised it was on our plot, including the area which is a corridor between two other complexes.
“Then I realised we were in big trouble – with it being October, having had no rain and everything being extremely dry, the whole plot could be set alight.”
Nementzik said that thankfully her uncle John Brotherton and employee Glad Mnisi were on the property to help douse the flames. “They both went and put the fire out with the help of the residents. We lost six trees in the fire and it was really scary how close it was to our forest – had we not have been at home, we could have lost our entire property.”
Nementzik added that she would like to create awareness in the community so that residents are aware of their environment and how fireworks could potentially cause a fire. “We all want to have fun, it is the festive season but and I believe the community members who were helping us could have been celebrating with their families rather than fighting a fire. So perhaps we should use fireworks responsibly or they should be considered [to be] banned because their effects could have been catastrophic had we not been present at the house.”
In response to the fire and alerting members of the community to be safe this festive season, Nana Radebe who is the spokesperson to the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services also added that the City of Johannesburg is committed to creating a clean, safe city in which all its citizens can live, work and play.
Related Article:
