[imagesource: TimesLIVE]

The fire that tore through Rhodes Memorial and UCT, before making its way along Table Mountain’s slopes to Devil’s Peak, was started intentionally.

That’s according to a SANParks investigation, with the results released to the media earlier today.

There is now a R10 000 reward on the table for information regarding the start of the fire, with investigator Rob Erasmus saying that CCTV footage captured shortly before the blaze shows a vehicle “parked close to the area concerned”.

News24 reports:

“We managed to study the CCTV footage in the area and determined that before the fire started, a vehicle was seen on the shoulder of the road, driving very slow and a few minutes later, the fire was started. We believe the fire was started by human intent.”

[Erasmus] added that they were unable to release information about the vehicle.

The investigation also revealed that no fire breaks were put in place.

The full SANParks media release goes further, ruling out “natural causes such as rock falls or lightning strikes or an accidental/negligent incident such as an abandoned camping/cooking fire”.

This according to SANParks Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Luthando Dziba, who said various potential causes of the fire were thoroughly assessed by an independent investigator – Enviro Wildfire (Pty) Ltd.

He stated that the investigation report provides compelling evidence suggesting that the fire may have been started as a malicious act. This evidence is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies.

In the day following the fire, it was initially suspected that the blaze was a result of a vacated vagrant fire.

You can find the full investigative report here.

35-year-old Frederick Mhangazo, a Tanzanian national, was also arrested in connection with fires started on April 18 in the Devil’s Peak area.

He appeared in court earlier this week, with the matter postponed to July 2, when he will face charges of breaching a by-law under the National Environmental Management Act.

[sources:news24&sanparks]