Fire on slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro
Scores of Tanzanian residents and students joined hands with firefighters on Monday to contain the further spread of a fire that started in Mount Kilimanjaro on Sunday.
Mount Kilimanjaro takes the glory of being Africa’s highest mountain at 20,000 ft above sea level.
According to TANAPA, Tanzania’s National Parks service, strong winds helped in fanning the fire which spread very fast.
On Monday though, the winds faded away although efforts were still being made to contain the fire on the slopes of the mountain.
Pascal Shelulete who works with TANAPA said that firefighters in collaboration with locals were still fighting the fire which is said to have started at Whona area.
Whona is a major resting point for mountain climbers using Mandara and Horombo routes. It is estimated that 50,000 tourists have used this route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
“The fire is big and they are continuing to fight it,” Alex Kisingo, deputy head at the College of African Wildlife Management located near the mountain, told Reuters.
The college dispatched 264 staff and students to help contain the fire. They were pivotal in providing water and food to the firefighters.
Residents near the mountain and who live in Moshi town say they first saw the flames of the fire on Sunday evening at the slopes of the mountain.
When the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon, mountain climbers at Kibo Hut detailed they could see the fierce fires in shrubs and it sent chills of fear because it could soon enough get to them.
About two million residents depend on the ecosystem of Mount Kilimanjaro to earn a living including thousands who depend on water from the mountain for farming and livestock rearing.
Read more:
8 Stunning Facts About Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s Tallest Mountain
