Suspected arson arrest highlights complex motives behind Cape Town wildfires

A suspected arsonist was arrested over the weekend after being caught on CCTV, allegedly setting a vegetation patch alight on the M5 northbound in Cape Town.

Fire investigator Patrick Ryan explained that the motivations behind deliberate fires can range from disgruntlement and mental illness to insurance fraud, or even a desire for revenge.

“There is a fascination [with fire], and I think when people do have a bit of an illness, they can seek out this, and some of the fires have been started out by people.”

While a majority of fires are caused by humans, those are accidental rather than malicious.

Ryan added that in the case of wildfires, there is a lack of research on the local context.

“There definitely should be more investigations into any wildfire that gets to any scale. It should be investigated so that we can get an understanding of what the possible causes are.”

To listen to Patrick Ryan in conversation with CapeTalk’s John Maytham, click the audio player below: