Kilimanjaro is in danger. For ten days now, fires have been raging along its slopes and hiking trails, up to some of the highest natural refuges.
Now to try to extinguish the flames that have been shrouding the heights of Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest volcanic mountain, for more than ten days, the Tanzanian Army (Tpdf) has decided to send army troops who will help firefighters who have been battling the blaze that has broken out in various parts of the mountain's slopes on the border with Kenya since last Oct. 21.
"Tpdf officers and soldiers have already arrived in the Siha and Mweka areas of Kilimanjaro region ready to fight the fire," reads an army statement released to the media. The fire reportedly broke out during a hiking trail. For days hundreds of people, including firefighters, national park staff, tour guides and civilians, have been struggling to put out the fires with little success. The causes are still unknown. According to the government, human activities may have started the fires, and prolonged drought and strong winds are some of the reasons why it has been difficult to control them.
This is not the first time the Tanzanians' "sacred mountain" has been threatened by fire: two years ago, a week-long fire destroyed thousands of hectares of forest on its slopes.