One annoying habit I have seen over the past five years or so is the irresponsible and careless selling and using of firecrackers and fireworks during Christmas and New Year holidays. Parents often let their children sometimes as young as 2 play with these dangerous contraptions unsupervised. They tend to forget that fireworks and firecrackers are dangerous and can cause serious bodily harm. Recently a Greystone Park family lost their house which was burned to the ground in a fire started by firecrackers.

The residents of the property were asleep when they were awakened by the familiar explosions of firecrackers. Their thatched house caught fire and neighbours had to rush and save furniture from the house.

It happened at midnight, I was sleeping when I heard a loud bang of a firecracker exploding and moments later I found the house had caught fire — I am very certain it was a firecracker that ignited the house.

We got assistance from neighbours who came quickly to assist with getting some of the furniture out.

Were it not for the kindness and assistance of neighbours and the dedicated hard work from the fire department, things could have been much worse.

Resident of the house

The Fire brigade hasn’t ascertained the official cause of the fire but the resident of the property in question is adamant that it was a firecracker.