Fire burns at Knysna taxi rank

KNYSNA NEWS - In the late hours of yesterday evening, Wednesday 18 May a group of informal trading stalls at the Knysna taxi rank were damaged in a fire.

According to Knysna Municipality spokesperson, Christopher Bezuidenhout, the Knysna Fire & Rescue Services were alerted to the fire shortly after 23:00. "When the team arrived, the fire had progressed to its full extent.

Combustible materials such as paper, wood, and plastic contributed to the spread and the intensity," he said.

The firefighters battled the blaze for just over an hour and at about 00:15, the area was declared safe.

"Some fruit and vegetable stalls and steel structures were damaged," Bezuidenhout said. "The fire was extinguished with the help of six firefighters, two major pumpers, and one skid unit."

No injuries were recorded. "The cause is undetermined at this stage.

It will be investigated in due course," he said. This is not a standout event, however, as a fire burned through informal trading stalls at the taxi rank on 16 April.

Bezuidenhout issued a call to the public to report fires as soon as possible.

"The fire department is appealing to the public to report all fires immediately, even if they deem the fire manageable," he said. "The team has discovered that people try to put out fires on their own, and only call the fire department when things get out of hand."

The contact number for the Knysna Fire & Rescue Services is 044 302 8911.

Remnants of the fire the fire that burned informal trading stalls at the Knysna Taxi Rank.