Efforts are proceeding in Tanzania to quench a fire that has broken out on the inclines of Mount Kilimanjaro, the most elevated top in Africa.
Individuals from the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) and nearby individuals have been battling to put out the blaze, which started on Sunday.
Their endeavours have been hampered by the height just as solid breezes and dry climate have made the fire spread quickly.
The reason for the fire is not yet known.
However, there are assumptions that the blazes might have spread from a fire used to prepare food for tourists.
The cause of the fire is not exact.
Tanapa representative Pascal Shelutete told the Tanzanian paper Mwananchi: “It seems the fire that was lit to prepare food… torched the dry vegetation in the area and spread quickly.”
Mr Shelutete said the fire began at the Whona zone, a rest centre for climbers using two Tanapa tweeted pictures that give a feeling of the fire’s degree and its aftermath.
Firemen and volunteers are “battling,” as indicated by Tourism minister Hamisi Kigwangalla, as endeavours to put off the flames that have been raging for five days have not been fruitful.
In a bid to curb the fire, Moshi — The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Hamis Kigwangala, has said the government would buy helicopters which, among different activities, will be utilized to manage rapidly spreading fires in National Parks
Notwithstanding purchasing the helicopter, the Tanzania National Parks Agency (Tanapa) and the Kilimanjaro National Park (Kinapa) has been instructed to put resources into firefighting infrastructure.
Dr Kigwangala gave the order on the fourth day since the fire broke out on Mt Kilimanjaro, with firefighters working nonstop to put it off.
“I have instructed Tanapa and Kinapa to be prepared to fight disasters like this. Although we have a firefighting plan, I have now ordered us to be executed, “he said.
According to him, there is a need to put more resources in lasting firefighting infrastructure.
“We have fire extinguishers here and there, but it is small. We need to keep bigger and more modern equipment in place,” said Kigwangala
He included: “We need to set points that we can tap water from the flowing rivers and streams so that we can use them in the event of a fire outbreaks like this,” said Kigwagala.”
“Now, we need to buy it and to build our capacity to fight such fire, and it will have buckets that will be placed on helicopters.”
He said the investigation concerning the fire outbreak was still on despite the fact that there were mixed feelings; however, so far, there is no straightforward reply answer to what caused the fire.
“It is largely a forested area known as the alpine ecologic zone, which is the third of the five regions of Mount Kilimanjaro.”
He added: “So the dense forest area of the reserve has not been affected and also the high snow area has not been affected. The effects are not so big ecologically but because only about 1.6 percent of the total area is protected”.
