A Google Earth photo taken on 20 April 2017 confirms that the western Knysna fire had started on the Elandskraal farm. This agrees with the findings of Dr David Klatzow, the forensic expert appointed by AfriForum to investigate the cause of the fire.
According to Dr Klatzow’s report, the western fire started on 12 April 2017 in the Elandskraal area in the vicinity of the Karatara River as a result of a lightning strike. The report states that the fire had smouldered for weeks before starting to spread and causing the destructive fires in and around Knysna which started on 7 June 2017.
“The findings are further confirmed by a photo of the smouldering fire that was taken on 22 April 2017 by Morné Jonker, a local farmer, from his micro aeroplane. Dr Wallace Vosloo, a land owner in Elandskraal, also took a video of the smouldering fire on 29 April with his drone. Another witness visited the area on foot,” says Reint Dykema, Spokesperson for AfriForum.