Firefighters battling blaze on Kenya’s Mount Longonot

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Authorities in Kenya on Wednesday are battling a raging fire that has swept vast vegetation fields on Mount Longonot.

Firefighters joined emergency response teams that include Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to contain the fire whose smoke can be seen from miles away.

Hells Gate National Park senior warden Francis Muchiri told reporters that residents have joined teams battling the fire.

An immediate assessment from officials showed that mostly vegetation has been affected and most wildlife in the ecosystem has withdrawn to safe areas.

According to KWS, the mountain rises from the floor of the Great Rift Valley like a monolith and it is an extinct volcano of Mount Longonot.

Officials suspect the fire was started by people grazing animals or hikers who frequent the mountain for the beautiful hiking trails.

KWS said the mountain’s unique feature is the thick forest that lies within the crater of the mountain.

The crater’s rim also provides great scenic views across the beautiful Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha. Major wildlife attractions at Mount Longonot include buffaloes, elands, lions, leopards, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffe and Grant’s gazelles.

The mountain is also home to hundreds of birds and is frequented by birdwatchers from across the globe.