South African town of Knysna comes back to life after devastating fires

After devastating fires claimed the lives of seven people and destroyed hundreds of homes, the town of Garden Route in Knysna, South Africa, is slowly rebuilding and residents are praising firefighters for their hard work and bravery, CGTN's Julie Scheier reports.

Last week's inferno left thousands of people displaced and approximately 500 homes razed to the ground.

Almost 500 “Working on Fire” firefighters were deployed to the Southern Cape to assist in extinguishing the fires. The blaze claimed the lives of two volunteers.

"They were key in helping us in this disaster, the worst disaster that has hit Knysna and we really wanted to take an opportunity as a town and the town's people to say thank you to them,” said Eleanore Bouwer-Spies, mayor of Knysna.

(CGTN)