Five elephants and a calf have reportedly been killed by a fire in Lolldaiga near Nanyuki.
The fire allegedly started after a stove which the British troops were using to cook a meal accidentally set dry grass ablaze.
Sources indicate that defence chiefs are investigating the cause of the fire.
Efforts to put out the fire on the 8,000-acre land are ongoing.
According to sources, British officials have launched investigations into the matter and all military activities have been suspended.
More than 1,000 British troops are currently taking part in military exercises in Kenya.
Residents said dozens of UK troops have been spotted trying to fight the fire on the dry scrubland.
British and Kenyan army helicopters have also been deployed to help put out the fire. No one has been reported injured.
The Kenya Wildlife Service did not confirm if the five elephants had been killed.
“We know there is fire which we are trying hard to put out. We are in touch with teams on the ground and the issue of elephants has not been confirmed,” head of corporate affairs Paul Jinaro said.
The UK Defence ministry said investigations launched.
Investigations are ongoing into the fire during a UK-led exercise. Our priority is to urgently assist the local community - we are putting all resources into containing the fire and working closely with the Kenyan authorities to manage the situation. @BATUKOfficial
— UK in Kenya 🇬🇧🇰🇪 (@UKinKenya) March 26, 2021
The ministry said all personnel have been accounted for but the priority is to urgently assist the local community if they have been impacted.
“We are putting our resources into containing the fire and are working closely with the Kenyan authorities to manage the situation,” the ministry’s response reads.
Most British troops in Kenya are from the 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment (2 Mercs).
There are 230 military personnel permanently based in Kenya to train visiting UK troops and Kenyan forces. Most are part of the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
