A wildfire broke out on a late Sunday afternoon, October 11. The wildfire broke out on Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania.
About Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth. Being Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895 meters (19,340ft). The mountain is also known as a stratovolcano, a term used to refer to a huge volcano made of lava, ash, and rock. Mount Kilimanjaro has three peaks: Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi. Kibo peak is the tallest of the other two peaks on the mountain.
Additionally, Kibo is a dominant cone and could erupt again while Mawenzi and Shira are extinct. Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru, which is the highest point on the mountain. Uhuru is the Swahili word for “freedom.
Additionally, the mountain is a leading tourist attraction in Tanzania. Other leading tourist attractions in Tanzania include the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and other wildlife parks.
Kilimanjaro is part of the Kilimanjaro National Park, a famous mountain climbing destination and hiking destination. The mountain’s ecosystem supports the lives of over two million residents on the lower slopes in Tanzania and Kenya. The residents directly depend on the mountain’s resources like rain for agriculture and livestock rearing and water. Furthermore, numerous scientific studies are carried out on the mountain. Because of the mountains shrinking glaciers and disappearing ice fields, the mountain is has been subject to many scientific studies.
Wildfire Breaks Out at the Mountain
When the wildfire broke out on Mount Kilimanjaro, local communities living near the mountain started working to put the fire out that broke out on Sunday afternoon. Tens of kilometers away from the mountain, flames of the fire could be seen. In Moshi town, for instance, several pockets of flames burning on the mountain could be seen. On the Marangu route at Kibo, some mountain climbers stated that they saw the fire in the shrubs close to the Mandara.
When the fire broke out, the Tanzanian National Park Service and the Kilimanjaro National Park made a public report. Both institutions stated that the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the institutions indicated in their statement that the cause of the fire had not been determined. Furthermore, the institutions said that local communities had already started trying to contain the fires. Given the nature of vegetation at the Kilimanjaro National Park, however, the institutions said that the fire could spread further if not controlled.
Patrick Shelutete, Tanzania’s National Park Communications manager, said the different agencies had also teamed up with the local communities in the efforts to try and contain the wildfire. The communications manager also added that the blaze’s high altitude was hindering efforts to extinguish the wildfires. Mr. Partick said that the agency would issue a more detailed report later. Tanzania’s Park’s Service (Tanapa) shared a blurry photograph on its twitter account concerning what was happening on Kilimanjaro. The photo displayed what looked to be a Mount Kilimanjaro with several pockets of fire burning on it.
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