This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Published on October 1, 2019, a fierce fire has ravaged over 70 hectares of bamboo in the Aberdare Forest, sparking a massive firefighting operation by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The fire, suspected to have been started by illegal honey harvesters or poachers on Sunday, has left a trail of destruction in its wake, with a multiagency team working to contain the blaze within a 500-square metre stretch.
According to KWS Mt Kenya boss Mr Bajila Kofa, the flames were first spotted at around 6pm on Sunday, with a team of 45 KWS officers deployed to battle the fire that night.
"The fire started at around 6pm on Sunday, it was a fierce fire. We sent 45 KWS officers to battle it that night but the number was increased Monday morning," said Mr Kofa.
Mr Kofa also revealed that a team of officers has been deployed to pursue suspected poachers who could have started the inferno, with some tracks left behind by strangers in the forest believed to be rhino poachers.
"We have identified some tracks left behind by strangers in the forest who we suspect to be rhino poachers. We are pursuing the strangers to establish their motive, they might have started the fire to make it easy for their poaching mission," said Mr Kofa.
