Etosha fire under control, no wildlife losses

ELLANIE SMIT



WINDHOEK

The fire that destroyed 2 545 km² of veld in the Etosha National Park has been brought under control without any wildlife losses or damage to park infrastructure.

According to the environment ministry, the fire started outside the park on 6 October and entered on 10 October.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said they initially took the decision to allow the fire to burn after it entered the park.

“The fire burned in the park for 10 days, covering a total burnt area of 2 545 km².”

Muyunda added that on 15 October, the ministry decided to suppress the fire.

Some powerline service poles were, however, burnt in the process, and are currently been replaced by the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor.

Strategic back-burning

In managing the fire, the ministry deployed officials, a grader, a water tank truck as well as a fixed-wing aircraft to monitor and control the situation, Muyunda said.

The ministry also implemented back-burning in strategic areas to stop the fire from encroaching into the Namutoni and Halali resorts, Mukuti lodge, the Namutoni ministerial staff quarters, commercial farms and the Okaukuejo area.

Muyunda said the implementation of this practice has been successful in controlling veldfires, as well as reducing the area burnt annually and shifting the seasonality of burning to the early dry season in protected areas.

He said numerous game species, including zebra, springbok and gemsbok, have already been feeding on the recently burnt patches, which illustrates that there are ample food resources for the game in Etosha.

Fire management strategy

According to Muyunda, the fire was managed in accordance with the ministry’s fire management strategy for protected areas.

“The fire strategy within our protected areas network is done on a sound, scientific basis and with continuous monitoring to ensure that the biodiversity, consisting of plant and animal communities, is maintained within set targets.”

Muyunda added that since the 2011 review of the Etosha fire management approach, the park has been divided into seven fire zones, which replaced the previously used 26 fire blocks.

The zones are demarcated mainly on soil and vegetation characteristics.

Additionally, each zone is accessible through a network of roads and firebreaks. This facilitates the implementation of the mosaic burning programme and the logistical effectiveness with which rapid adjustments can be made to either allow or suppress burning.

‘Not destructive’

“We wish to assure the public that the fire was not in any way destructive, even though it may have appeared as such from the pictures and videos that were shared,” Muyunda said, adding that the fire will stimulate the regrowth of grass with the rain season approaching.

In recent years, fire management approaches have been introduced into Namibia’s protected areas, particularly in Etosha and parks in the Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West regions, under the premise that fire can be used as an appropriate management tool to actively maintain and rehabilitate all terrestrial habitats.