Kili burns again

At least 20 hectares of Kilimanjaro Forest
Reserve have been destroyed by fire which
erupted on Sunday afternoon.
Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) said in a
statement that the destroyed part of the forest
reserve included Amboni, Ushiri, Keryo, Kimori
and Shimbi.
The statement said that preliminary reports
showed that the source of the fire was illegal
harvest of honey at Amboni area, where people
set fire to the area, but ran away after it
spread to other parts of the forest.
TANAPA said in efforts to fight the fire, it had
mobilised people from nearby areas such as
Mshiri, Lyasongoro, Amboni, Ushiri and
Ikuwini who were now at the scene fighting the
blaze.
Trainees from the Field Force Unit (FFU) in
Moshi were on their way to the scene to join
other forces to put out the fire.
Contacted for more developments TANAPA
Public Relations Manager Pascal Shelutete said
he was on his way to the scene.
Global Environment Facility through Small
Grants Programme has been implementing
various projects to combat forest fires in areas
around Mt. Kilimanjaro through community
participation.
According to information obtained from the
Organization’s website the project aimed to
involve local communities adjacent to the
mountain in Rombo District to participate in
preventing and suppressing forest fires which
occur in Mt. Kilimanjaro forest reserve.
Repeated incidents of forest fires at the natural
forest of Mt. Kilimanjaro has contributed in
the loss of biodiversity and nature habitat.
Forest fires have increased the number of
opportunity species such as Erica in the forest
of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The project created awareness to the
communities on the dangers of forest fires,
and modern beekeeping activities which use
closed fire in honey harvesting.
The project also created community fire
brigades which would be in the front line in
suppressing fires in case of breakout. These
fire brigades will constitute of village
environmental committee members.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN