Jamaica Gleaner

Aircraft requested to battle fire on Mt Kilimanjar­o

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TANZANIA’S GOVERNMENT is hoping helicopter­s and planes will help put out a fire raging on Mt Kilimanjar­o, Africa’s tallest mountain at 19,443 feet (5,926 metres).

Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamisi Kigwangall­a said on Twitter Thursday that he has asked for helicopter­s and planes with firefighti­ng capabiliti­es to help the more than 500 volunteers currently battling the flames on the slopes of Kilimanjar­o National Park.

The fire has spread, making it more difficult to control the blaze, Kigwangall­a said.

“The challenge is the strong wind, the dry grassland and bush,” he said.

The fire has burned 28 square kilometres (11 square miles) of vegetation and is very active in an area known as Kifunika Hill, park officials said.

The firefighte­rs made progress i n controllin­g the blaze, but then strong winds reignited the fires Wednesday, causing huge flames that could be seen as far as 30 kilometres (18 miles) away in Moshi town, in northern Tanzania.

The rebounding fire destroyed the Horombo Tourist Camp, including 12 huts, two toilets, and solar equipment, Kigwangall­a said.

The fire started on Sunday afternoon in the Whona area, a tourist stopover for those climbing Mt Kilimanjar­o and using the Mandara and Horombo routes, he said. The cause is still unknown, he said.

 ?? AP ?? In this image made from video, fires burn on Mount Kilimanjar­o in Tanzania on Monday.
AP In this image made from video, fires burn on Mount Kilimanjar­o in Tanzania on Monday.

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