Windhoek: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has called on visitors to the Etosha National Park to exercise caution as wildfires have spread to areas close to tourist roads on the eastern side of the park.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the ministry, in a public notice on Sunday, stated that the affected routes include Halali Junction to Rietfontein, the Eland Drive detour, and the Rhino Drive detour. The notice warned that the situation may change at any time, as wind direction can cause the fire to spread unpredictably. The fire response team is at the scene, extinguishing the fire, and visitors are advised to refrain from entering the affected areas if they see fire approaching.

In a media release on the same day, Acting President Lucia Witbooi said the fire, which started on 22 September in the South-Western part of the park, poses a significant threat to biodiversity, wildlife, and the livelihood of the communities in the affected areas. She explained that over the past three days, the fire has spread to the north-eastern parts of the park and, on 26 September, it extended into the communal areas of Omusati and Oshana regions, particularly in the constituencies of Uuvudhiya, Otamanzi, and Ruacana.

Witbooi emphasized that 30 percent of the grazing has been destroyed in the park and the government has intensified its national response to contain the fires. This response includes the deployment of 40 members of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) and an additional 500 personnel dispatched to the area on 27 and 28 September, respectively. Two helicopters and fire extinguishers by the NDF were dispatched on 28 September, along with support from nearby farms for helicopter assistance and associated expenses. Additionally, the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) deployed one helicopter to carry out surveillance of the extent of the fire in the Omusati region.

Witbooi further informed the nation that no State of Emergency has been declared yet, and a decision will be taken once all information is obtained. She noted that the fire has caused considerable damage to the grazing in the park and the surrounding communal areas, amounting to hundreds of thousands of hectares of grazing land. An unknown number of wildlife have been killed, though, thankfully, no human casualties have been reported.