Wildfire breaks out on Mount Muhabura in northern Rwanda

A resident of Nyagahinga Cell in Cyanika Sector told IGIHE that the fire started in the middle of the mountain at around 6 a.m. and spread uphill, making efforts to extinguish it difficult because of the long distance that responders have to cover on foot.

“We saw the forest had caught fire at around 6 a.m. this morning. We tried to see whether there were people putting it out, but we did not see anyone. It continued burning. As we speak, we are on the mountain trying to put it out,” the resident said.

Residents of Nyagahinga said they were not concerned that the fire would reach their homes or damage their property because the mountain is about two kilometres from the settlement.

Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde told IGIHE that authorities from different levels had gone to the area to coordinate firefighting efforts, expressing confidence that the situation would be brought under control without significant damage.

“Yes, it is true, and we are all there. We have gone to put it out. I believe it will be resolved without much damage,” he said.

Residents said that by around 9 a.m., the fire had begun to weaken on Mount Muhabura, raising hopes that it could soon be extinguished.

The full extent of the area affected was not immediately known as the fire was still burning when this story was published, while residents continued efforts to put it out.
The cause of the fire had also not been established.

Residents said some people enter Volcanoes National Park to collect honey, a practice that sometimes requires them to light smoke to drive bees away. They suspect that such activity could have caused the fire.

Mount Muhabura was last affected by a major fire in 2009.

The volcano stands at 4,127 metres above sea level, making it the second-highest of Rwanda’s five volcanoes.

During the dry season, vegetation in several national parks, including Volcanoes National Park, where Mount Muhabura is located, becomes dry and more vulnerable to fires. This increases the risk of wildfires if flames reach the vegetation.