Kirisia forest inferno sets back Samburu greening efforts
Part of Kirisia forest in Samburu County which was ravaged by fire.
The Kirisia forest fire that is "spreading very fast due to dry winds and vegetation" has highlighted Samburu County's poor response to fire disasters.
The devolved unit has not invested in firefighting equipment and personnel despite allocating money to that function every financial year.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) is now calling for national government intervention.
Locals, forest scouts, and KFS personnel have been using leafy branches and soil to try to contain the fierce fire that is ravaging the Kirisia forest for the third day running.
Samburu County Commissioner Henry Wafula said community members and the disaster management department were "trying to contain the inferno".
"Our efforts have not been successful so far because the fire is spreading quickly. We will be forced to seek other interventions to contain it," Mr Wafula said on Tuesday.
Cause not determined
Smoke from the fire, whose cause had not been determined, has darkened the sky for the past three days. But Mr Wafula speculated that the dry grass, crispy leaves, parched shrubbery and dead trees caused by the ongoing drought could start a fire easily.
“The ground is full of dry shrubs, dead trees that are years old and they are like tinder. If you drop a cigarette in there, the whole area burns down," he said.
The fire was reported at various spots in Baawa and Tamiyoi and was "spreading very fast", according to forest officials.
Samburu County Ecosystem Conservator Charles Ochieng told the Nation the fire had spread to other areas due to strong winds and scorched vegetation in the Kirisia forest.
He said they had mobilised support from other entities and were working to contain the blaze.
"We have deployed our officers and are accompanied by locals who are helping out voluntarily. We are trying our best because it is difficult to put it out, especially due to the winds and dry vegetation due to drought," he said.
Seeking assistance
He said they were seeking assistance from other government agencies. KFS said it was looking for an aircraft to aid in surveying the area.
Mr Ochieng urged pastoralists tending livestock near the forest to be cautious, saying fire tends to spread quickly where there are strong winds and dry vegetation.
The fire is a setback for the KFS, which was trying to restore the forest that was previously degraded by illegal settlements. Trees such as the podo and red cedar had been destroyed, he said.
"It is a huge blow to our efforts to increase the forest cover in Samburu to at least 15 percent by this year," he added.
The current forest cover in the county is 12 percent.
Last month, the KFS and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) established two fire watchtowers in the forest to help curb fires and illegal logging.
