[imagesource: Twitter / Kgaugelo Masweneng]

Families and friends enjoying their Heritage Day celebrations on Friday at the Cedar Junction Family Resort in Pretoria were braaing and relaxing as usual.

That is until they were suddenly faced with a rather dangerous situation.

In the parking lot, some noticed a billowing cloud of black smoke rising from an area packed with cars in the late afternoon.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be at least five cars that had seemingly spontaneously combusted.

TimesLIVE spoke with Kgaugelo Masweneng, who was on the scene at the time:

“Everyone went to investigate and what we saw were at least five cars in flames. It looked like a Jeep, an Audi, BMW and SUVs were burning. More than five cars were burning.”

Masweneng also shared these videos on Twitter:

An SUV was pulled out of a raging fire that set more than five cars alight at a parking lot of Cedar Junction Family Resort. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/YQM7KvFn2o

— Kgaugelo Masweneng (@KgaugeloKgaphol) September 24, 2021

She said the Tshwane Metro Fire Department arrived when the families were scrambling to move their cars to the other side of the parking lot:

Emergency services fled to the scene within 20minutes after vehicles caught fire in the parking space at Cedar Junction Family Resort in Pretoria. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/ia4MgkRAjT
— Kgaugelo Masweneng (@KgaugeloKgaphol) September 24, 2021

Once the cars at risk had been moved to a safer place, she said a fire had erupted, which some suspect could possibly have been caused by cigarette butts.

Another video shows the smoke choking people out of the gates:

24/09/2021
Avoid Lynnwood rd in area of Cedar Junction. Cars on fire. People are trying to get out of picnic area. Road has people & cars double parked. Fire brigade en route.@ItuAssist pic.twitter.com/kYenYnWTec

— Zettie Potgieter (@JustdoitZee) September 24, 2021

That is certainly not a great way to celebrate Heritage Day.

[source:timeslive]