NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 7 – 8,700 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed by a wildfire that has been raging in the moorlands of Mount Kenya for seven days, the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust has confirmed.
The fire is said to have started near Rutundu Lodge in the moorlands last week and spread rapidly due to strong winds and high temperatures.
According to the organisation, the fire spread in two directions: towards Marania Forest in the north and south-west towards Chogoria.
The organisation confirmed on Monday that the fire in the northern part had been contained the previous day, with efforts still underway to curb its spread in the southern part.
Efforts to contain the fire are being spearheaded by multiple agencies and organisations, including the Mount Kenya Trust, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Rhino Ark, Tropic Air and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) later joined the firefighting efforts, providing additional support.
“Despite a quick response by Mount Kenya Trust, Lewa, Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service, the fire spread further. Rhino Ark as well as KDF then stepped in to provide additional support,” the organisation said.
“Rhino Ark, together with Tropic Air, is conducting daily aerial reconnaissance flights to assist with the planning of the operations, as well as with a team of firefighters. As of 6 September, about 8700 hectares of moorlands were burnt,” it added.
The incident comes at a time when Kenyan forests, as well as forests globally, face a growing threat from wildfires, increasingly linked to climate change and global warming.
