Fire reported at Moi Girls School in Kibera
Police say all students have been evacuated and the fire has been contained
3d agoEMMANUEL WANJALARealtime
The Kenya Forest Service has mobilised 200 rangers to help put off raging fires in Isiolo.
By Thursday, Isiolo residents were busy trying to put off a huge fire that has destroyed thousands of acres.
Reported to have started four days ago, the inferno has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of pastoralists.
Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko and Isiolo Senator Adan Dullo overflew the affected area to assess the damage caused already before condoling with residents affected by fire in one way or the other.
"We have been able to see today large and diverse fires that have happened in particularly Savanah area. The fire is affecting grassland and shrubland along the Ewaso Nyiro Basin," Lemarkoko said shortly after surveying the area.
After overflying the area to assess the damage caused, Lemarkoko and Dullo later landed in Bassa and spoke to residents who relied on the areas that had been consumed by an inferno.
Lemarkoko said the place had good rains and hence a lot of biomass that is now aiding the inferno.
He said the wind had affected the spread of the fire.
Lemerkoko said the entire area is estimated to be between 300,000 to 400,000 hectares.
Lemarkoko said 60 per cent of the area has been consumed by fire.
He said rangers have undergone specialised training on how to contain the fire and that the service is on high alert.
Lemarkoko said dry conditions in most parts of the country could aid wildfires.
The CCF said specialised equipment has also been mobilised to help contain the fire.
He said one advantage is that the fire was now going backwards.
The areas the chopper overflew include Iresaboru, Sericho, Bassa and Bathana.
Lemarkoko said 200 rangers from the service have been mobilised to try and put off the raging fire.
Water bowsers have also been mobilised to help the ongoing efforts to put off the fire.
Senator Dullo thanked the national government for supporting the ongoing efforts to put off the fire through the deployment of Kenya Forest Service rangers.
Dullo warned that the fire risks spreading to areas where residents live if it is not put off urgently.
She said residents particularly those putting off fires need to be supported with food and water and medicine.
The senator said lack of access as a result of poor roads was also hampering efforts to put off fire.
Dullo challenged the county government to make use of the emergency fund to bolster the ongoing efforts to put off the fire.
Several residents said the fire has destroyed their livelihood and will force them to move for kilometres to get pasture for their livestock.
Ali Yusuf, 68, said the grass used to offer them refuge.
Yusuf said several residents have been trying to put off the fire in the past few days in vain.
He said strong winds in the area have aided the fire to spread.
"I'm worried because I do not know what my livestock will eat as the fire has swept across the grass," Yusuf said.
Osman Sora,58, urged the government to step in and put off the raging fire.
He said they lacked the requisite equipment to help them put off the fire.
Sora said the spread of the fire was getting worse each day.
Abkanu Duba said over 50 people have been mobilised to put off the inferno.
Lack of requisite equipment, water to drink as well as food was hampering their work.
Duba said the water in the area is salty.
He says water bowser comes after one week to supply them with the commodity.
However, each household gets only two jerricans.
He said the water challenge has also been attributed to a leaking tank.
