afrol News, 24 March - Kenyan government has deployed more than 3, 500 security forces to fight the raging fires that have reportedly destroyed 4, 600 hectares since last weekend. The wild fires that have engulfed the Kenyan forests have also put tens of thousands of animals in danger.

Government officials have said at least 10 people have been arrested on arson charges following the Saturday fires on the country’s most important forests of Mau, the country’s largest forest and Mount Longonot.

According to police officials, emergency services are over stretched and need urgent assistance to save the country’s wild life.

“Police, the national youth service, forestry service workers - all have been drafted in to help save the bush land in some of the country's most important watersheds,” the local news reports have revealed.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on Mount Longonot, the fires have begun advancing into the crater, trapping and killing thousands of small animals that are unable to escape.

The KWS which has previously warned that human settlement in the Mau forest was drying up the rivers and threatening Lake Nakuru, said the blaze had dried up some rivers threatening hundreds of thousands of flamingoes living along the river.

The police officials said they suspect some of the still-raging blazes were started by communities to make space for farmland.

Mau Forest which is the biggest water catchment area in the country and hosts more than hundreds of thousands of species its destruction has drawn condemnation locally and abroad.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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