July 2009

Fires on Muhavura

Fire broke out at the edge of the Rwandan Volcanoes National Park in Cyanika sector in the morning of July 18th and had by the evening consumed up to 8 hectares. During the weekend it crossed over to neighbouring Uganda. Local authorities suspected suspected that the fire was caused by honey harvesters in Nyagahinga. According to the district mayor, Samuel Sembagari, wild fire last broke out in the park in 1978.
The next day, an estimated 100 hectares had been gutted on the foot hills of Muhabura Mountain on the Ugandan side.
The fire was described as the worst disaster to hit the flora and fauna in the area.

On July 20th, the fire was finally contained after it destroyed an estimated 160 ha of forest on the Rwandan side. Several thousand rangers and people from the local population had helped to extinguish the fire. Gorillas were not affected by the fire and gorillla tourism was continued without interruption

Summary of articles published by The New Times, Kigali, and the New Vision, Kampala
 

Volcano National Park overview

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