Garden Route National Park Operations Amid Ongoing Severe Weather
The Garden Route region continues to experience heavy rainfall, although wind conditions have subsided compared to yesterday, 11 May 2026. Damage asse...
Update: Fires at Tsitsikamma and Knysna
Update 26 June 2007 16h00 : According to Park Manager Darren Classen, the fire is under control, with rain expected. More information will be supplied as it becomes available.
Tsitsikamma:
Brief Overview:
Fire reported burning in TNP. Suspected origin : adjacent golf course development.
Suspected cause of fire:
Burning of cleared alien vegetation stacked in heaps on adjacent golf course development.
Damage to property:
Fire spread in a Southerly direction towards Petrusville and suspension bridge. Boardwalk and suspension bridge caught alight.
±50ha of Fynbos and dry coastal forest burned on SANParks property and fire spread into Mountains to Ocean Forestry (MTO) commercial plantation towards the east.
At 12h00 on 26/06 ±400ha commercial pine plantation burned down.
Major damage to SANParks infrastructure includes ±400m boardwalk destroyed from suspension bridge towards restaurant.
Current condition of boardwalk area is deemed to be unsafe for public and closed until further notice, due to rock falls and burning debris as well as absence of board walk.
Response by emergency team:
±200 people were deployed.
Knysna
Brief Overview:
Fire reported on private land adjacent to SANParks property (ex DWAF).
Suspected cause of fire:
Fire caused by a wind-felled tree over ESKOM power line.
Response by emergency team:
Quick response from SANParks and MTO couldn”t prevent the fire spreading onto SANParks property due to adverse weather conditions.
±120 SANParks personnel were deployed.
±100 MTO personnel were deployed.
Damage to property:
±50ha Fynbos on SANParks land burned down and fire spread into commercial pine plantations (Geo Parks and MTO).
At 12h00 on 26/06 ±700 to 800ha commercial pine plantations burned down.
No infrastructure damage to SANParks property.
Captions (left to right)
This picture was taken on the 25 June 2007, at the National Park”s residential area, Petrusville.
This picture was taken on the morning of the 26 June 2007. It shows the look-out point at the top of the Storms River gorge, East of the suspension bridge.
This photo was taken on the morning of the 26 June 2007 from the chopper. It shows MTO Forestry”s (commercial timber grower) Blueliliesbush plantation burning.
This photo was taken on the morning of the 26 June 2007 from the chopper. It shows the Storms River mouth and the burned plateau and gorge. The Tsitsikamma mountain range is faintly visible in the background.