Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa, has also exploded in flames.
The fire on Mount Kenya, already confirmed by local authorities there, is apparently being experienced mostly from the Meru side of its slopes.
The fire on Kenya’s highest escalation is occurring just a few hours after reports of flames blazing on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
It essentially means the two highest peaks on the African continent are now both on fire.
The hot flames on Mount Kenya seem to be within a series of bush fires that have been occurring around the Aberdare forests in the country for the past full week or so.
Possible causes behind the fires that are now blazing on both Mount Kenya and the neighboring Mount Kilimanjaro are yet to be officially established at the moment.
But already teams have been deployed to combat the raging flames before they could cause more damage.
And just like the case of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the fires occurring on Mount Kenya are also not new phenomena either.
In fact, for Kenya, they have been happening almost on a yearly basis.
The recent wildfires in Mount Kenya have been a significant concern for the region’s conservation efforts.
According to the Mount Kenya Trust, the fires have affected almost 20,000 hectares of land and have killed wildlife.
Mount Kenya fires are primarily caused by human activities such as clearing land for domestic animal grazing, gathering honey, cannabis cultivation, and charcoal production.
Also, the weather conditions, particularly dry and windy, have exacerbated the fire risk.
The Mount Kenya Trust says it has been actively involved in fire management, deploying trained personnel and coordinating with other agencies to combat the outbreaks.
The organization has developed a comprehensive fire management plan, including fire breaks and a reporting and command system for multi-agency response.
Towering at nearly 5,200 meters above sea level, Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa which is located about 150 kilometers north-northeast of the capital of Nairobi and just 16.5 kilometres south of the equator line.
The mountain’s highest peaks are Batian at 5,199 meters, Nelion measuring 5,188 meters and Point Lenana reaching 4,985 meters.
