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Tanzania’s army has deployed hundreds of troops to help firefighters who have been battling a blaze on Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, for almost two weeks.

Tanzania’s National Parks Authority says the fire has destroyed hundreds of hectares of the mountain’s forests. Tanzanian tour operators and porters worry their trade will dry up if the fire is not soon brought under control.

According to a statement from Tanzania’s People’s Defense Force Tuesday, the troops have already joined efforts to fight the fire in Mount Kilimanjaro national park.

The statement said the army will fully cooperate with other stakeholders to prevent further damage to the park.

The fire broke out October 21 in Karanga Camp, an area located about 4,000 meters above sea level.

Some 500 people are battling to contain the blaze, including firefighters, national park staff, tour guides, and civilians.

No injuries have been reported so far and Tanzania’s national parks authority says tourism has not been affected.

However, tour operator Ally Malika says his business has suffered.

He says, it has really affected us since in some cases tourists refused to climb the mountain, worrying that the fire would affect them. Malika says I think the fire will stop because along with the ongoing efforts to contain it, there is also rain in some areas which helps put out the fire.

Tour operators say more needs to be done to stop incidents like this, including increased aerial surveillance.

Fred Mkonyi is a managing director of Fred Trekking and Safaris company.

“There should be satellite cameras to survey the whole area to identify threats and disasters like these,” he says. “If there is anyone involved in the fire, then the law will step in. Mkonyi adds that Kilimanjaro national park is very big, so you can’t have guards to cover the entire area. If we don’t have the satellite, he says, we can also have helicopter patrols.”

Fires are common around Kilimanjaro at the end of dry seasons. In 2020, another fire broke out on the mountain and destroyed more than 95 square kilometers of vegetation and 12 huts used by tourists.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain peak in Africa, is one of Tanzania’s leading tourist destinations. Around 50,000 people climb Kilimanjaro annually, bringing tens of millions of dollars to the region.

Source: Voice of America