The fires that wrecked part of Knysna in the Western Cape in June probably originated from a lightning strike‚ which occurred in the Elandskraal area on April 12‚ forensic investigator David Klatzow said on Tuesday.
“It is likely that [the lightning bolt] ignited something which was oxygen-limiting. [The fire] smoldered away until it got oxygen and the wind suddenly crept up on the morning of 7 June‚” said Klatzow.
“In the same way that if you would want to resurrect a fire that you started the night before‚ you would blow on it‚ is the same way it happened here‚” he said.
The area where the fire started was dense bush where there was no evidence of human habitation.
“It is unlikely that anybody would be there at the middle of the night‚” he said.
