KWS Officers Battle Huge Fire Ravaging Through the Aberdare Forest

Huge Fire Ravages the Aberdare Forest

Mumbi Mutuko

October 1, 2019 1:13 PM

Aberdare Forest On Fire

Smoke spotted as fire rages in the Aberdare Forest

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers are struggling to put out a raging fire in the Aberdare Forest.

“The fire season is here with us again, it is honey harvesting season. We expect fires in the Aberdare and Mt Kenya forests but we have activated our response team,” KWS Mt Kenya boss Mr Bajila Kofa said.

Illegal honey harvesters or rhino poachers are suspected to have started the fire which is believed to have burned more than 70 hectares of bamboo.

Fire rages in the Aberdare Forest Pulse Live Kenya

Suspects Identified

KWS Mt Kenya boss Mr Bajila Kofa stated that they had identified tracks left by people suspected to have started the fire.

“We have identified some tracks left behind by strangers in the forest who we suspect to be rhino poachers,” Kofa said.

“We are pursuing the strangers to establish their motive, they might have started the fire to make it easy for their poaching mission," he added.

Fire Used as Decoy

Kofa pointed out that rhino poachers have a habit of lighting fire in the forest as a decoy for them to kill the wild animals.

Fire rages in the Aberdare Forest Pulse Live Kenya

“The rhino poachers also have a habit of lighting the fire so that they can kill the animals as we concentrate on firefighting, but they will not succeed,” the KWS boss warned.

Mr Kofa said firefighters have been working overnight and are likely to contain the fire by Tuesday evening if the winds remain calm.

Mumbi Mutuko