Home » A Month After Devastating Fires, Knysna Residents Woke to Fire Again

A Month After Devastating Fires, Knysna Residents Woke to Fire Again

One month after the Knysna Day of Fire, today we had Berg wind conditions again and the wind has fanned the flames since last night… writes local Knysna resident and SAPeople contributor, ESTER BEUKES. “The smoke was all over the Eden District. A helicopter water bombing again and the firefighting teams busy. “Just before sunrise […]

07-07-17 00:15

One month after the Knysna Day of Fire, today we had Berg wind conditions again and the wind has fanned the flames since last night… writes local Knysna resident and SAPeople contributor, ESTER BEUKES.

“The smoke was all over the Eden District. A helicopter water bombing again and the firefighting teams busy.

“Just before sunrise it looked as if the sun was rising in a new position due to the flames behind the Eastford Valley.

Sunrise in Knysna. Photo by Ester Beukes

“At sunset the smoke was thick in the valley again and still the flames in the valley behind.”

Sunset in Knysna. Photo by Ester Beukes

More than 30 Department of Environmental Affairs Working on Fire (WoF) firefighters were sent to assist the Knysna Municipality in containing the fire that broke out in Knysna.

According to Eden District Municipality: “Various flare-ups around Knysna were extinguished today. Fortunately, the Disaster Management and Firefighting teams had an Incident Management Team (IMT) meeting yesterday to identify potential problem areas. There was also an IMT meeting in Knysna today to co-ordinate firefighting efforts.”

The Eden DM Disaster Management and Fire Services units said it attended to a fire in the Blanco/Heather Park areas in George at 15:00 today. Two helicopters were called and assisted with bringing the fire under control by 17:30.

A Working on Fire (WoF) team was due to continue with mopping up at all the fire lines until 22:00 tonight.

WoF teams were active today at fires in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Wilderness area in the Southern Cape; and said the a rapid response by ground and aerial crew ensured the Hoekwil and Touwsranten community “are now safe”.

Last month’s raging fires tragically claimed the lives of seven people, and burnt many homes and properties. (See video below.)

Devastating Fire in Knysna, June 2017