Etosha fire flares up again

Sostenus Wilherm

The ministry of environment, forestry and tourism says its staff, the Namibian Defense Force and community members continue to battle wildfire flare-ups in Etosha National Park after strong winds caused fires that were brought under control on Monday morning.

The fires are spreading around the Halali area towards the southeastern boundary of the park.

Etosha deputy director Naambo Iipinge said the active fires remain relatively small and manageable but still pose a risk to the park and surrounding areas due to unpredictable wind speeds.

As of Wednesday, preliminary assessments showed that about 2 587 square kilometres of the park had been burned.

The ministry said controlled burning carried out in previous months is helping reduce the extent of the flames and the teams remain on the ground monitoring, mopping up and assessing the full extent of the affected area, including any possible impact on wildlife.

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