Knysna municipality stands by its fire report

Knysna Municipality stands by its findings that the June fires were man-made as concluded in its fire report released last month.

The municipality was responding to findings by Afriforum which had refuted the municipality’s claims and initiated their own investigation into the fires.

The lobby group’s investigation revealed that the fires were caused by a lightning strike. Afriforum called on the help of forensic investigator David Klatzow who concluded that the lightning bolt ignited a flame which originated in the Elandskraal area on April 12.

Klatzow’s report was in contrast with what the municipality had found to be the cause of the fire. Knysna fire chief Clinton Manuel revealed at a media conference last month that pine cones — often used as kindling — and charred logs were found on private land in the mountainous Elandskraal area where the fire started.

But he could not say whether the fire was started deliberately.

Knysna Municipal Manager Kam Chetty on Tuesday backed up their findings that human activity caused the devastating fires that claimed the lives of seven people and left many homeless.

“The Knysna municipal investigation is based on a scientific methodology that included a thorough analysis of aerial and ground evidence and eye witness accounts” Chetty said in a statement.

Chetty explained that the municipality’s investigation involved examining burn patterns in the context of changing weather that prevailed during the fire. Firefighters responded to three fires on June 7- one in Kruisfontein at 3.30am‚ another in Lancewood at 4.14am and the final fire in Elandskraal at 6.15am.

“Based on the examination of all the evidence it remains our finding that the fire of 7 June 2017 was primarily caused by human activity in the clearing area in Elandskraal” he said.

Chetty added that it is “unfortunate that Dr Klatzow’s report is one sided and purports to apportion blame on Knysna municipality”.

“In coming to our conclusion our investigation covered a number of probabilities‚ including the possibility of lightning strikes. Further it is of great concern that Dr Katzow is blaming the Knysna Municipality for the fire” Chetty said.

Speaking at the media conference last month‚ Knysna mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies said the fire disaster had prompted the municipality to change its approach in dealing with future disasters‚ but for now its priority was stabilising bare slopes and preventing extreme erosion.

Chetty concluded in his statement that the municipality’s fire report is not to refute‚ smoulder or to assign blame‚ but instead to establish the origin of the fire based on evidence found on the ground.