South Africa News

Knysna fires cost R3bn in damages

The 2017 Knysna fire caused more than R3-billion in damages. That’s according to an independent disaster report, funded by insurance company Santam.

Released almost two years to the day, the report tallies up the lives lost, the more than 1,000 homes destroyed and nearly 20,000 hectares of land reduced to ash.

The report assesses how government, communities and the insurance industry, among others, can prepare for and respond to future mega-fires.

“The key thing here is to understand what human factors can be applied that can, in fact, reduce the risk going forward,” said Santam chief underwriting officer John Melville.

“So, from our perspective to understand what we could have done differently.

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Source: eNCA