There was a moment of panic after fire engulfed Mt Longonot national park for two days burning tens of acres of pasture land and displacing hundreds of wild animals.
The terrain of the park, the dry vegetation and strong winds adversely affected efforts to contain the fire whose cause was not immediately known.
There was a moment of anxiety after the fire threatened to spread to the nearby offices before KWS staff and members of the public managed to contain it.
According to the officer in charge of Hellsgate National Park Hapicha Ellema the fire had affected their normal operations.
Specking on phone, Hapicha admitted that tens of wild animals had been displaced by the inferno but was quick to add that no deaths had been recorded.
“None of the big animals were killed but the small ones and inspects were definitely affected by the two day incident,” she said.
She said efforts to put out the fire had been being hampered by strong winds and the uneven terrain which made impossible to access some parts of the park.
“The fire also spread fast due to the dried up vegetation and this is a big loss in terms of pastures for the wild animals especially during this dry period,” she said.
Hapicha said incident of charcoal burning and honey harvesting were common in some of the farms surrounding the mountains and this could have caused the fire.
