There is a report that was got from our sources, it is indicated that the fire had spread and destroyed a large area that was covered with vegetation in the areas of the upper part of the mountain. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) sources mentioned that it had become very hard for the people to put out the fire after it had started proceeding to the top of the mountain peaks.
Mr. Simon Gitau, who is the leader of Tourism and Rescue Operations at the Kenya mountain, mentioned that about 58 square kilometers covered with vegetation was destroyed by fire that evening and by the time the report was mad, it was still burning though slowed down but it was still so hard for the fire fighters to put it out given the fact that in the region, there are no abundant tree branches and it had spread across risky areas.
John Wachihi who is the leader at KFS in charge conservation while addressing The Standard said that they had taken large number of teenagers about 30 of them to assist in the putting out the fire and they arrived the next day which was yesterday Thursday morning adding to the 20 KWS rangers who were already there trying to put out the fire. The main challenge that these fire fighter faced was that the region is not easily reached more so with vehicles which means that one has got to walk there a journey that takes about five hours so said Wachihi.
The fire is suspected to have been started by the honey harvesters and the illegal hunters who trespass into the forest. According to one of the senior KWS representative, the poachers must have started this fire to forge away of stopping KWS and KFS officials from going after them as they are up against their illegal trade that they do. All tourists and their guides and porters who were on a trip on that day were forced to cut short their trip short after the out break of the fire to safe guard both their lives and property.
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS