After four cars were set ablaze on New Year’s Eve in Bernal Heights, yet another car was lit on fire some five blocks away on Tuesday night, though in this case the described arsonist had actually lit a disposed Christmas tree on the curb.
It certainly caused some anxiety in Bernal Heights when four cars were lit on fire the night of New Year’s Eve, on Park Street near Holly Park. And then not even ten days later, another car was set on fire in Bernal Heights, reportedly just five blocks from the New Year's Eve fires, at San Jose and 30th streets.
This time, the suspect lit a disposed Christmas tree on the curb, and the first spread to an adjacent vehicle. While there is no proven connection between the two incidents, the Bernal Heights neighborhood is obviously worried that there’s a serial arsonist at work.
The news of the second car fire incident popped up on a Facebook Bernal Heights group. “Our car was burned last night at 11 PM,” the purported car owner posted Wednesday. “Our neighbor has video- they lit a curbed Xmas tree on fire and walked away. Thankfully no one was hurt, and it did not spread to the nearby tree.”
The post also has doorbell camera video of the incident, in which a possible suspect can be seen.
The SF Fire Department acknowledges this did all happen as described. "We can confirm that on that evening, we did respond to a car fire at that specific location," department Captain Jonathan Baxter told KTVU. "As to the Christmas tree being a contributing factor to that fire or not, is still under investigation."
KTVU adds that the fire department is “exploring potential connections” between the fire incidents, though it’s yet unproven whether they’re related. There are currently no reported suspects or arrests with either incident.
That station also adds that there’s a GoFundMe for the car owners of the vehicles that were burned on New Year’s Eve.
Image: Bernalwood:Discussion via Facebook
