Man started June 7 great fires

Update Video

KNYSNA NEWS & VIDEO - The long-awaited official report on the cause of the destructive Knysna fires was presented to a contingent of local and national media representatives on Monday, August 14, ruling out completely an "act of God" as a cause.

"I can confirm that the cause of the fire being an act of God is dispelled. We cannot say that this fire was started as a criminal act of arson, in other words deliberately, and this investigation and conclusion is now up to the South African Police Service," said Manuel.

The fires, which occurred on June 7 and spread from Greater Knysna to Plettenberg Bay, claimed the lives of seven people, destroyed about 700 homes, caused thousands of residents to be evacuated to safety, and caused billions of rands' worth of damage to municipal and private property.

FIRST TYPE 1 INCIDENT IN SA
It was the first disaster in South African history to be graded as a "type 1 incident", the biggest disaster rescue operation in the country to date.

According to Knysna fire chief and operations manager during the fires Clinton Manuel, the evidence resulting from the fires was evaluated through a scientific process and analysis. The report explains not only the cause of the fires but the origin too, as many reports have been released after the fires speculating as to where and how the fire started, said Manuel.

"Evidence points to the origin of the fire as being on a clearing site in Elandskraal. Specific patterns of the burn scars on a farm show a definite V-pattern that indicates with a high degree of certainty the site where the fire started. Just below this scar we have found evidence of a man-made fire," he said.

EVIDENCE OF HUMAN PRESENCE
The evidence referred to by Manuel is the presence of pine cones in the area, an area with no pine trees, and "stacked fuel" such as planks nearby. Manuel stated that the pine cones were probably used as fire starters.

Further evidence pointing to a human presence in the area was an access road and broken pottery found strewn about.

This evidence also disproves other reports stating that a smouldering section in Elandskraal was the cause of the fires. This section is still smouldering and will remain underground, according to Manuel. "The lack of fuel underground will make the spread of this fire almost impossible," said Manuel.

Along with the Elandskraal fire, the fire in Kruisfontein near Plett was also investigated, and was also found to have been caused by humans, fuelled by worsening factors.

These fires could have been made for a number of reasons, Manuel said, after which the weather conditions on the day, along with the topography of the landscape, drought, and the preceding berg winds played a significant part.

HUGE COSTS FACING KNYSNA
Municipal manager Kam Chetty said that preliminary estimates to address the infrastructure of disaster damage totals R496.3-million for the entire region.

Cost estimates for Knysna are as follows:

Health sector, including clinics – R1,256-million
Agriculture – R40-million
Human settlements – R44,920-million
Local government – R91,573-million
Environmental affairs – R134,89-million
Asbestos removal – R50,4-million
Transport – R8-million
Social development and relief: R25,3-million

FUNDING MUST STILL BE RAISED
Chetty added that much of this funding must still be raised and that applications are being made to various government departments for assistance.

He also stated that three areas would be focused on following the fire:

Issues that need to be mitigated like erosion and the threat of landslides and a possible future fire.

The rebuilding of Knysna, to which mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies added that the municipality has chosen to respond to the disaster by finding innovative ways of becoming a disaster-wise community.

Becoming a resilient town that could adapt to the current environment and be prepared to take on future fires.

Watch a video below.

Knysna fire chief Clinton Manuel (left), mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies, municipal manager Kam Chetty, and spokesperson Chumisa Kalawe at the presentation of Manuel's final report on the June 7 fires. Photo: Stefan Goosen

Read previous articles:
• Knysna fires started by "human activity"
• Report back meeting on Knysna fires
• D-day for official Knysna fire report

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