The preliminary investigation into the brush fire just east of the R43 between Gansbaai and Stanford on 28 December 2023, has concluded that the fire was a result of arson.

The investigation team identified ten ignition points in a straight line in the middle of the field, which caught the prevailing wind to burn over 1 100 hectares of fynbos. The location and pattern of the ignition points allowed investigators to eliminate natural causes, negligence (e.g., vagrants) or electrical systems faults.

They suggested that the person who started the fire has likely been doing this for some time, and may strike again. Given that it is fire season, and this year has a high brush cover, providing a great deal of cover, it is unlikely that the culprit will be caught in the act.

Overstrand Municipality is consequently offering a R15 000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the arsonist.

DA Overstrand Mayor Annelie Rabie was perplexed that a member of the community would risk endangering lives by starting these fires. While no lives were lost, and the fire was contained before it reached residential areas, the cost of containing wildfires is high, and the risk of loss of life and property are taken seriously.

Rabie expressed hope that the offer of a reward for information would lead to arrest, as it did in the case of the 2019 Betty’s Bay fire, which affected Betty's Bay, Karwyderskraal (Hermanus), and Franskraal.

Wildfire arson has been responsible for some of the worst fires in recent years.

Betty's Bay suffered the most from the 2019 fire, with 31 residential properties destroyed, 28 damaged, and significant destruction to the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens. In Karwyderskraal, damage was reported to buildings, water pipelines, fences, and Eskom pylons. Franskraal experienced the destruction of five houses in the caravan camp, and a 71-year-old man was seriously injured while evacuating in Betty’s Bay.

In 2021 in Cape Town, a deliberate fire was set which burned over Table Mountain, spreading to the UCT campus, destroying a massive section of its archives. According to Philip Prins, head of the Table Mountain fire response at the time, explained that 45% of wildfires fires at the national park are started by bergies through negligence of their campfires, while 42% are arson.

At the time, many left wing students connected to the Fallist protests at the university from previous years had celebrated the fire, and called themselves “burnists”, advocating for more extensive deliberate destruction of heritage landmarks and wealthy areas through fire.

Fires can also be used to rapidly clear dense brush, making way for quicker set-up of land invasions.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fire Services 24-hour emergency control room at 028 312 2400 or send an email to enquiries@overstrand.gov.za