The civil rights organisation AfriForum on Tuesday released a report that sets out the origin as well as the cause of the devastating Knysna fires.
The report was drafted by the forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow, who was commissioned by AfriForum to undertake a thorough investigation of these fires in Knysna. The fires in Mossel Bay, Pezula and Plettenberg Bay are also discussed in the report.
Klatzow found among other things that one of the fires was caused by a fire that smouldered for a few weeks after lightning had struck a part of the indigenous forest.
AfriForum has already discussed the findings in the report with Ms Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape, at a meeting and furthermore wrote a letter to the Western Cape Government, asking for a commission of inquiry to look into the findings.
The disaster left seven people dead, and hundreds of homes destroyed.
Last week the Knysna Municipality tabled its own forensic report, claiming the fires were most likely started by people.
But Klatzow says his work now shows that's not true.
Afriforum discussed the following fires in their report:
The eastern fire in Knysna: Here it is indicated that a fire incidentally started in a forested area known as Dam-se-Bos. Arson is not suspected.
The western fire in Knysna: The fire originated in the Elandskraal area and was caused by lightning on 12 April 2017. The fire smouldered for a number of weeks in a portion of the indigenous forest, and weather conditions – including strong winds and hot air – fuelled this fire on 7 June 2017.
The fires in the western part of the Knysna Lagoon which caused damage to Brenton-on-Sea and the area next to Buffels Bay were a result of the Elandskraal fire.
The fires at Pezula were a result of the fires at Dam-se-Bos and Elandskraal. The Elandskraal fire jumped across the western part of the Knysna Lagoon to Pezula.
The Plettenberg Bay fires: The fires at Dam-se-Bos and Pezula spread to Plettenberg Bay. However, there were also two other fires in the area caused by a tree in a plantation. The tree fell on an Eskom power line and a fire started. Another fire was accidentally started by a resident in an informal settlement.
