Fires reach Kruger National Park camps
The fires are suspected to be runway fires at this stage and were brought under control.
Two camps in the Kruger National Park (KNP) experienced raging fires on Sunday evening, October 20.
The affected camps were Tamboti and Maroela, and all guests were evacuated to Orpen Rest Camp as a safety precaution.
According to a KNP spokesperson, Issac Phaahla, the local section ranger, Greg Bond, and his team, with the support from other ranger sections in the park, the South African Wildlife College, and the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station, managed to get the fires under control at around 22:00. The fires also reached the Talamati area, but the river boundary prevented them from spreading further.
“About 90% of the temporarily evacuated guests were safely escorted back to their respective camps, and the rest opted to camp in Orpen’s parking lot for the night. We are very grateful to the teams and support from Bond for working tirelessly until the fires were under control,” he said.
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Phaahla added that no damage to property or injuries have been reported so far. This fires are suspected to be runaway fires. The teams are still out on the field and gathering information regarding the fires.
