Arusha. A fresh fire has broken out on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, with firefighting efforts underway involving the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa), conservation stakeholders and residents of villages surrounding the mountain.
According to Tanapa, smoke from the fire was first spotted at around 3:30pm on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in the Kikererwa area inside Kilimanjaro National Park (Kinapa), near Rombo District in Kilimanjaro Region and close to the Kenya border.
The fire remained visible into the early hours of Friday, September 4, with large flames seen burning on the mountain’s slopes between the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
Tanapa said it immediately deployed a firefighting team from its conservation unit to contain and extinguish the blaze.
The operation is being conducted in collaboration with conservation and tourism stakeholders and residents of villages bordering the park.
“Efforts to contain the fire are ongoing,” said Tanapa head of communications and spokesperson Catherine Mbena.
Ms Mbena confirmed that no injuries had been reported, stressing that the safety of tourists, employees and other stakeholders remained a priority.
The cause of the fire had not been established by Friday, with investigations continuing in collaboration with security organs and other relevant authorities.
Despite the fire, Tanapa said tourism activities inside the park, including mountain climbing through designated routes, were continuing as normal.
Eyewitnesses said the flames were visible from Oloitokitok in Kenya as President William Ruto and his delegation inspected the construction of a road linking Illasit town and Taveta.
The latest incident adds to a history of recurring fires on Mount Kilimanjaro, particularly during September and October.
In September 2023, a fire broke out on the mountain, destroying about 17 acres of natural vegetation before it was brought under control. The incident occurred as Kilimanjaro National Park marked its 50th anniversary.
A year earlier, in October 2022, Kilimanjaro was hit by a series of fires in Udetu, Samanga, Karanga River, Umbwe, Baranko and parts of the Marangu route.
The 2022 fires lasted several days and destroyed more than 34.2 square kilometres of natural vegetation on the mountain.
Other major fires were reported in 2020 and 2018, with both incidents also occurring between September and October.
Kilimanjaro National Park covers approximately 75,575 hectares and protects Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s largest free-standing volcanic mountain and Africa’s highest peak.
The mountain rises to 5,895 metres above sea level at Uhuru Peak and attracts thousands of climbers and tourists from around the world each year.
