Aberdare fire yet to be contained three days after it started

The fire that has razed hundreds of bamboo forest land at the Aberdare forest in Nyandarua county is yet to be contained, three days after it started.

Government officials have estimated that over 90 hectares of forest cover has been destroyed.

According to Kinangop deputy county commissioner Mr Kazungu Nzofu, a team of Kenya Forest Service officers, Kenya Wildlife Service, the police, and a disaster management team from Nyandarua County had been deployed at the scene.

But they were experiencing one challenge: lack of aircrafts to transport them to the fire site.

“The area is on a very high altitude and there is harsh terrain before one gets there .We do not have aircrafts to transport our team to put it out,” he said.

He said that strong winds were making it hard for those already at the scene to contain the fire.

“The winds are making the fire spread so fast and hence complicating our efforts to contain it. We pray that the rains come and this will make it easy for us to put it off,” said Nzofu.

The fire is believed to have started on Sunday evening and was reported at the Kinangop Satima peak. It has since spread to other areas.

It is suspected to have been started by honey harvesters who have invaded the forest as it is the harvesting season.

Mr Nzofu noted that the fire season was on and all residents should be curious while carrying out their duties near forest.

He at the same time cautioned poachers against carrying out the poaching activity in the forest.

"They take the advantage and carry out poaching activities while we are busy putting out the fire. I want to warn them that we will not allow this to happen," he said.