On the De Braak estate north of Paterswolde, an old beech tree caught fire tonight, presumably due to arson. The fire was noticed just before 10 p.m., after which the fire brigade arrived to save the tree. That was still quite a few feet in the earth.
The place where the tree stands was difficult to reach for the fire brigade, who once found a smoking tree on site. It took about an hour and a half to pump water from a nearby pond to extinguish the smoldering tree.
Landgoed De Braak consists of a monumental park forest with ponds and imposing trees, some of which are several hundred years old. It remains to be seen whether the beech tree that was on fire can stand upright. The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated.