KFS suspends vegetation burning near forests

Wildfires raze down a grazing land  /FILE

Kenya Forest Service has suspended all burning of vegetation adjacent to or within forest areas.

KFS Chief Conservator Alex Lemarkoko has said all the individuals intending to burn vegetation near forest reserves must provide a written notification 48 hours in advance to the nearest KFS or Police Station. “The service has enhanced preparedness by deploying additional firefighting equipment, 12 pick-up vehicles, and six troop carriers, as well as recalling all staff on leave to bolster fire preparedness,” said Lemarkoko in a press statement. He revealed that KFS has installed a smoke detection system to monitor forest fires in Mt. Kenya, Aberdares and Mau ecosystems.

He noted that since January 2025, significant fires have also been reported in Isiolo, Garissa, and coastal ecosystems.

“Notably, there has been an exponential increase in forest fire incidents within the past week,” Lemarkoko added. 

The KFS Command Centre has recorded 180 fire incidents that have seen over 1,357.97 hectares of vegetation within gazetted forests across several conservancies destroyed.

The forest agency said based on fire risk assessments conducted in various counties, it’s clear that the country is in the forest fires season that is expected to continue until mid-March.

The conservator confirmed that KFS is actively collaborating with Community Forest Associations, the public, the Kenya Wildlife Service, national and county government agencies, and other conservation partners in ongoing fire suppression efforts.

In January, KFS announced fire preparedness measures to mitigate, ensure early detection and prompt responses in case of fire outbreak, including the manning and clearing of all fire breaks throughout the season.

“Fire patrols should be stepped up, standby fire roasters should be drawn up and strictly adhered to and all fire-fighting equipment should be serviced and kept within easy reach in case of an outbreak,” he remarked.

The KFS boss directed that all fire danger rating boards and posters should be displayed at strategic points for the general public to see and understand the level of fire danger in the respective forests.

“KFS personnel, forest adjacent communities and personnel from other agencies are prepared to tackle any fire outbreaks using a multiagency approach in respective areas,” said Lemarkoko.

Lemarkoko said that in the event of a fire outbreak, information should be sent out to KFS Command Centre, the nearest forest office, the police station, and any other office using the quickest means possible.