Wildfires Rage in Aberdare and Mt Kenya Forests

Wildfires erupted in the Aberdare and Mt Kenya forests on Wednesday morning, with firefighting teams struggling to contain the blazes. The fires come less than a month after similar incidents in Isiolo, highlighting the growing threat of wildfires amid Kenya’s prolonged hot weather.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Kenya Forest Service (KFS) confirmed the incidents, noting that teams were actively battling the flames, particularly in the Embaringo section of the Aberdare Forest.

Lucy Mwati, KWS Senior Assistant Director for the Mountain Conservation Area, stated that multiple teams had been deployed to manage the situation.

Conservation group Rhino Ark also joined the efforts, deploying helicopters in partnership with Tropic Air Kenya to assist firefighters. While fires at Gatare and Central Moorlands in the Aberdare Forest were contained, the blaze near Embaringo remained uncontrolled.

“Three fires affected the Aberdare ecosystem. Two (Gatare and Central Moorlands) have been contained, but a third near Embaringo rages on. We are providing rations, transport, and helicopter support,” Rhino Ark confirmed.

In the Mt Kenya Forest, conservationists continued battling a blaze in the Burguret area. Officials expressed concerns over the rising frequency of wildfires, citing recent incidents in conservancies across central Kenya and the Maasai Mara game reserve, where wildlife and vegetation were destroyed.

This latest wave of wildfires comes almost a year after a deadly incident in the Aberdare Forest, where two KWS officers died in an accident while responding to a similar emergency.

Authorities attribute the recent fires to extreme weather conditions, urging communities to exercise caution to prevent further disasters.