Earlier this month a fire broke out on Kilimanjaro near the Rongai Route. 

The first started at around 3.30pm on September 3rd in the Kikerelwa region, near the border with the populous Rombo District.

The fire quickly spread over several acres on what is the hottest and driest side of the mountain, though was eventually brought under control by the firefighting team of the mountain’s own Conservation Force, as well as tour operators and local villagers. 

The cause of the fire remains unknown, though investigations are ongoing.

Previous fires have a variety of causes, with human activity usually the main culprit. 

Cooking mishaps on treks, and cigarettes tossed by porters and trekkers into tinder-dry scrub are often blamed, as are the endeavours of local honey harvesters, who light fires to smoke the bees out of their hives. Indeed, both of the biggest fires in the last ten years (in 2020 and 2022) were said to be caused by the carelessness of humans working on the mountain.