Part of Mount Kenya engulfed in flames as firefighters battle raging inferno

A section of the iconic Mount Kenya is on fire with firefighters working tirelessly to contain the raging inferno.

Aerial videos taken at the scene of the inferno show thick plumes of smoke rising into the air, with the vegetation covering the area on fire.

The Mount Kenya Trust, which is involved in efforts to contain the inferno, revealed in a statement that the fire broke out on September 1, 2026, with different teams involved in fighting the fire for five straight days.

The fire spread rapidly, with the team noting that up to 17 fire points were visible at one time.

"Over the last 5 days, we have had up to 17 fire points visible at one time. On Tuesday and Wednesday, fires remained on the eastern flank of Kibiaranyeki, but there were several of them.

"Thank you to all our on-the-ground partners. There has been great collaboration and generous in-kind support, aerial support, personnel support and communication with KWS, KFS, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Rhino Ark, Borana, Kisima, and the participating Community Forest Associations," Mount Kenya Trust said in a statement dated September 5, 2026.

High winds hampered efforts to contain the inferno, with the fire spreading south and west.

"On Thursday, fires moved south and west from Rutundu towards Lake Alice and Lake Ellis. As fires were put out in the early hours, more were spreading by midday due to unbelievably high winds," the statement added.

Prevailing weather conditions in the area saw the fire flare up again with the winds and even cross Kathita Gorge.

A wide range of organisations, companies, conservation groups and community partners came together to support the efforts, with each contributing critical resources to the response.

Tropic Air, Rhino Ark, The Mountain Club of Kenya, Tropical Heat and Galana Energies are among the many entities that quickly mobilised resources needed to respond to the fire.