By Adam Ihucha, Arusha
Firefighters battling a wildfire on Mount Kilimanjaro have contained more than 90 percent of the blaze, Tanzanian authorities said Saturday, as crews worked to extinguish the remaining flames on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain.
The fire, first detected Thursday afternoon in the Kikererwa area of Kilimanjaro National Park near the Tanzania-Kenya border, has entered its third day, triggering a coordinated response involving Tanzania’s national park authorities, forest and fire agencies, tourism operators and communities living around the mountain.
Helicopters have been deployed to support teams operating at higher elevations, where steep slopes, deep valleys and difficult terrain have made the firefighting operation particularly challenging.
Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Dr Ashatu Kijaji, who inspected the affected area Saturday, said changing wind conditions had helped crews make significant progress against the fire.
“As of this morning, we had managed to contain more than 90 percent of the fire,” Dr Kijaji said, adding that firefighters were concentrating on the remaining 10 percent.
Authorities were working toward achieving about 99 percent containment by the end of Saturday, she said, although burning tree stumps, particularly in valleys, could continue to pose a threat after the main flames are brought under control.The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Dr Kijaji said authorities would investigate its origin and assess the environmental damage after the fire had been completely extinguished. Human activity had not been ruled out, particularly because the blaze began during a dry period when vegetation is highly flammable.
For now, officials are focused on preventing the remaining flames from spreading and ensuring that smouldering areas do not reignite.
A difficult battle at high altitude
Kilimanjaro presents a formidable environment for firefighters.
Rising to 5,895 metres above sea level, the mountain encompasses steep slopes, ridges, valleys and rugged volcanic terrain. Fire crews cannot reach every affected area by conventional ground methods, while changing winds can rapidly alter the direction of a fire.
Tanzania National Parks Authority Conservation Commissioner Masana Mwishawa said the operation was particularly challenging because of the mountain’s deep valleys and steep terrain.
The fire also poses potential risks to vegetation, insects, smaller wildlife, soils and water sources. Larger animals are generally more capable of moving away from advancing flames.
The firefighting effort has consequently become a broad multi-agency operation, with TANAPA conservation personnel working alongside the Tanzania Forest Services Agency, the Fire and Rescue Force, tourism companies and residents from neighbouring communities.
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Assistant Conservation Commissioner Catherine Mbena, who heads TANAPA’s Corporate Communication, praised everyone involved in the firefighting operation, including conservation personnel, emergency responders and neighbouring communities. She said their cooperation, manpower and resources had been critical to containing the blaze and protecting the park’s natural resources.
The operation has also highlighted the vital role of communities living alongside Tanzania’s protected areas. Their cooperation with park authorities has been an important part of the response, demonstrating how effective conservation increasingly depends on close collaboration between national park authorities and the people who live around them.Tourism continues
Despite the fire, authorities said tourism activities on Mount Kilimanjaro were continuing.No injuries have been reported among tourists, guides, park employees or rangers.
Tourists have continued climbing the mountain, while camping activities are proceeding normally. The fire is sufficiently distant from the Rongai climbing route that operations there have not been disrupted.
The development is significant for Tanzania’s tourism industry. Kilimanjaro is not only a national landmark but also one of the world’s most recognised adventure destinations and a major attraction for international visitors.
The fire was first detected at about 3:30 p.m. on September 3. By the early hours of September 4, large flames could be seen burning on the mountain’s slopes between the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
The affected Kikererwa area lies near the Tanzania-Kenya border, making the fire visible from parts of the surrounding region.A conservation warning
The immediate priority remains to extinguish the remaining flames, eliminate hotspots and prevent smouldering vegetation from reigniting the fire.
But the incident has also renewed attention on fire preparedness and early detection on Kilimanjaro, particularly during dry periods when vegetation can become highly combustible.
Tanzania has confronted major fires on Mount Kilimanjaro before. The mountain’s difficult terrain means that even a relatively small ignition can become a serious conservation challenge when flames reach remote and inaccessible areas.
That is why the government’s decision to begin the process of acquiring a dedicated helicopter for TANAPA could become one of the most significant outcomes of the current emergency.
A dedicated aerial capability would give park authorities a faster way to detect smoke, assess developing fires and move personnel or equipment toward remote sections of the mountain before a small blaze grows into a larger emergency.For now, however, the battle continues.
More than 90 percent of the fire has been contained, but firefighting teams still face the final and potentially most delicate stage: extinguishing the remaining flames and eliminating sources of heat before the mountain can be declared safe.
On Kilimanjaro, where wilderness, conservation and tourism converge on one of Africa’s most recognisable landscapes, the objective is no longer simply to put out a fire.It is to protect the mountain before the next spark finds another dry slope.