A fire outbreak at Loldaiga Conservancy in Laikipia County has razed approximately 15 acres of vegetation, raising fresh concerns over fire management in the area.
The blaze, which broke out at noon on Wednesday, is believed to have originated from one of the rangers’ camps, according to area chief Wang’ombe Wanjau.
He stated that residents from the neighbouring community attempted to contain the fire but were overwhelmed by its rapid spread.
“People from the community tried to put it out, but it spread too fast for them,” Wanjau said in a phone interview.
The situation was salvaged by the neighbouring Loisaba Conservancy, which has firefighting equipment. The team responded swiftly and successfully extinguished the flames before they could spread further.
Gateri Mwangi, a resident living near the 45,000-acre conservancy, noted that despite the community’s efforts, they lacked the necessary capacity to contain such a fast-moving fire.
“The fire started around noon, and we tried to put it out, but it kept spreading. We are yet to establish the exact cause,” he said.
This is not the first fire incident at Loldaiga Conservancy.
In March 2021, a massive fire destroyed nearly 12,000 acres, displacing wildlife and disrupting the local community.
That incident was linked to activities by the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).
Authorities are now assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the latest fire.
