Terrified animals rescued from Knysna blazes

The fire in Knysna has not only threatened human lives and property - many animals that call the coastal town home have been killed.

Bianca Guassardo, 29, a horse owner, was extremely worried about her horse when the fire spread onto her farm in Knysna on Wednesday.

"My horse was running wild because he was under threat. We struggled to calm him down."

Guassardo has had Thunder for seven years and shares a close bond with him.

"When the fires came, I immediately wanted to take him to a place of safety. We have been together for a long time and I wasn't going to lose him."

Thunder was taken to the Knysna Primary School sports field. Adri Swanepoel, also a horse owner, obtained permission to look after the horses at the sports field.

"There are three owners' horses at the school now. We took them there when the fires flared up again on Saturday. For now the school is the safest spot for the horses and they will stay there until it is safe for them to return to their homes," she said.

"It was a mission travelling with the animals. They were stressed and instinct told them that something was wrong. Also, having [water bombing] planes constantly flying over them made them anxious. But they are safe and under no threat now," said Swanepoel.

The Knysna Animal Welfare Organisation has taken in animals at a safe facility on the outskirts of the town.

"At this stage we are taking in animals whose owners have lost their homes.

"Owners came to us and asked us to care for their animals until they find a place to stay," said the organisation's Retha Havenga.

Its inspectors are still searching for injured and stray animals.

Havenga said there were no reports of animals being seriously injured or killed in the fire.

"We have taken in cats, dogs, geese, chickens, pigs, cows and horses.

"We even, with the help of SANParks, took wild animals to a safe area where it is not burning," said Havenga.