Mt Longonot wildfire fully contained, KWS confirms

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed that the wildfire reported on January 21 at Mt Longonot has been fully contained.

According to KWS, the blaze began on nearby community land and is suspected to have been caused by land-clearing activities.

The fire later spread into parts of Mt Longonot National Park, prompting a coordinated response involving KWS officers, community guides and residents.

KWS said the collaboration helped stop the fire before it caused extensive damage.

“The fire spread into parts of Mt Longonot National Park but was swiftly contained through the joint efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), community guides and local community members,” the agency said.

KWS also assured the public that the incident had no connection to volcanic activity.

“We wish to inform the public that there is no volcanic activity or eruption associated with the incident,” the agency said.

Mt Longonot is an extinct stratovolcano with a peak of 2,776 metres above sea level.

A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra (fragments of material produced by a volcanic eruption).

Similar fears of an eruption were raised in October 2022 when a fire broke out on the mountain.

At the time, KWS reiterated that Longonot remains an extinct stratovolcano and confirmed that the blaze was not caused by volcanic activity.

“It was not an eruption. It was a fire that broke out around the crater. The team on the ground is yet to determine the cause of the fire. The fire was immediately dealt with, and the park is now safe for use,” an official said on October 28, 2022.

By the time the fire was extinguished, it had ravaged 40 hectares of bushland.

“There was no volcanic eruption of the mountain as reported on some media platforms. We assure the public that the park is safe for all visitors,” the official added.

In September 2021, a section of the mountain also went up in flames.

At the time, authorities said the fire was started by hikers who had visited the tourist site.