Firefighters battle to contain blaze on Kilimanjaro

A huge fire has broken on Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak and a key attraction for tourists in Kenya and Tanzania.

According to Tanzanian national park authorities, the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and is yet to be contained.

A brief media release posted on Twitter by Tanzania National Parks(Tanapa) said the fire broke out at Whona, a pit stop for mountain climbers using the Mandara and Horombo routes.

“Several teams including residents, college students and local fire brigade are currently trying to put [out] the fire. Tanapa will continue to take all precautions to ensure the safety of all visitors and their equipment,” said Pascal Shelutete, deputy commissioner of communications at Tanapa.

It is not yet known what caused the fire and whether anyone was using the affected route when it broke out. Shelutete promised to issue a comprehensive statement as soon as more information became available.

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A photo posted on Tanapa’s Twitter account, taken from a distance, showed a line of fire on the slopes of the mountain. Daniel Mjema, a journalist based in Moshi, a town on the slopes of the mountain, said he could see the fire from 7pm on Sunday.

“Although the fire broke out on the tail end of the climbing season, if it continues, it will affect tourism activities in Kilimanjaro as no climber would risk going up,” said Mjema.

Kilimanjaro, a Unesco world heritage site, is 5,895 meters above sea level and is the highest free-standing volcanic mountain in the world. Unesco has said that human activities, including increased land use in surrounding areas and water and air pollution, are threats to the mountain’s ecology.

“Tourism poses a significant threat and careful planning of related infrastructure and access development is required,” said Unesco.

The mountain is located on the border between Kenya and Tanzania and both countries have benefited immensely from tourism activities around it. Amboseli national park in Kenya, renowned for its vast herds of elephants, derives its water from the mountain.