Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro still puffing fires onto the skies

Reports on the recently erupted highland fires are still being kept under wraps for some reason.

However, hot flames continue to lick both Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro as of now.

Of course, some reports maintain that the fires have been reduced but not fully out.

At 5,895 meters, Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, while Mount Kenya escalating at 5,199 meters, is the second tallest on the continent.

And the two have recently been puffing fire onto the skies like angry dragons.

Porters and Guides currently trekking on Kilimanjaro say the fire is still far from being over though somehow reduced.

Recently also, the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural resources and Tourism claimed in Moshi that over 90 percent of the fire outbreak had already been put off.

Observers are however not sure.

Mountain climbing activities are still taking place on Kilimanjaro though.

There have been no more updates on what is going on at Kilimanjaro.

The currently is taking the Ostrich head in the sand approach on the matter.

The Tanzania National Parks is not issuing any statement, insisting that an official release will come after the exercise is over.

Unlike Tanzania, Kenya have meanwhile been releasing reports, though shallow, of the progress on their Mountain fires.

The country has even deployed choppers to help in the firefighting mission.

Through the combined efforts of Mount Kenya Trust, Rhino Ark, Lewa, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and Tropicair, most of the fires have significantly been brought under control.

Still, parts of Mount Kenya continue burning fiercely.

Reports from Mount Kenya Trust say teams have been back on the ground dealing with those remaining fires, putting out a few hotspots that flared up again and carefully mopping up the affected areas.

Joint operations by a team from Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and Kenya Forest Services (KFS) responded to the forest sections via the Themwe Route to the Ithangune Hill area, overcoming extremely difficult terrain and containing the flames closing in on the forest and moving out into different vegetation zones.

The team managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the bamboo area; if they hadn’t, it would have been disastrous.

 Bamboo is highly, highly flammable, and it’s impossible to fight wildfires in it.

After more than ten straight days of fighting to contain the fires, the teams are now carrying out the vital work of mopping up, carefully checking and extinguishing remaining hot spots to prevent any flare-ups and stop the fires from taking hold again due to how strong the winds have been lately.

Across such vast and difficult terrain like on this Mount Kenya, helicopters remain an invaluable tool, getting all teams where they need to be swiftly and safely.

Fires on both Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya usually break out during the months of August, September and October when heat scorches the East African region, resulting in series of bushfires.