Namibia: Wildfire Scorches Over 2 000 Square Kilometres of Etosha

Over 2 000 square kilometres of Etosha National Park have been burnt as teams continue to battle wildfire flare-ups in the park.

Etosha National Park covers about 22 270 square kilometres of land.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism says firefighters brought the fires under control on Monday morning, but strong winds caused them to flare up again.

The fires have since spread around the Halali area towards the southeastern boundary of the park.

"As of Wednesday, preliminary assessments show that the total burnt area is 2 587 square kilometres of the park," says ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula.

Etosha deputy director Naambo Iipinge says the active fires remain relatively small and manageable, but unpredictable winds continue to pose a risk to the park and surrounding areas.

Ministry staff, Namibian Defence Force members and community members remain on the ground fighting the fires, monitoring affected areas and putting out remaining hotspots.

Hangula says controlled burning carried out in previous months has helped limit the spread of the flames.

He says teams are also assessing the affected areas to determine whether wildlife has been impacted.

The ministry says it will provide the full size of the burnt area once the fires have been extinguished.

Read the original article on Namibian.