Part of Aberdare National Park goes up in flames
What you need to know:
The flames had not been contained as of 2pm, amid fears about the fate of wild animals and rare tree species.
Nyeri KFS Zonal manager Muchiri Mathinji said the fire broke out at around 10am in the moorland areas of the Aberdare Ranges.
A section of the Aberdare National Park went up in flames on Friday as drought ravages both human and animal lives in many parts of Kenya.
The flames had not been contained as of 2pm, amid fears about the fate of wild animals and rare tree species.
Nyeri Kenya Forest Service Zonal Manager Muchiri Mathinji said the fire broke out at around 10am in the moorland area of the Aberdare Ranges.
This comes after the national forester issued a fire alert due to the persistent hot and windy weather sweeping across the country.
HOT AND WINDY
“We cannot estimate the damage as of now but we are looking for an aircraft to assess the situation,” he said.
Mr Mathinji said fire spreads rapidly when the weather is too hot and windy, calling on people living near forests to be on the lookout.
"We are calling people living near forests to be very careful and avoid using fire without any safety measures,” he said.
He said they had already mobilised officers to assess the situation and were already heading to the area to contain the fire.
In the notice published on Wednesday, KFS said all precautionary measures had been put in place, including sensitising communities living in forested areas on detecting, deterring and subduing fire outbreaks.
HIGH RISK
The 2015 Forest Act recognises the role of communities in co-managing forests in Kenya and the government involves people living around the Aberdare National Park.
“The fires are imminent in Gathiuru area in Mt Kenya, parts of Gatarakwa on the slopes of Aberdare Forest, which are high-risk areas,” said Mr Mathinji.
Also, the public has been urged to remain vigilant and report possible forest fire threats and outbreaks to the KFS offices through the hotline number 020 250 2508.
The dry seasons of January to March and August to September are characterised by high temperatures, which make forests and other vegetation areas highly susceptible to fire outbreaks.
