Kilimanjaro Fire Closures End as Tanzania Reopens 3 Routes
TANZANIA · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- —The country Tanzania, in East Africa, is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet).
- —What happened On Thursday, 8 October, Tanzania National Parks reopened the Lemosho, Londorosi and Rongai routes and said they are safe to use.
- —The closure On Monday, 28 September, the parks authority suspended Lemosho and Londorosi as a fire spread toward the Shira Plateau.
- —Earlier fire A blaze near the Kenya border broke out on Thursday, 3 September, and was more than 90 percent contained two days later.
- —US travel advice The State Department rates Tanzania at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, citing unrest, crime and terrorism among other risks.
- —Still open The parks authority has not said how much land the late-September fire burned or what started it.
The Kilimanjaro fire closures are over, after Tanzania’s parks authority reopened three climbing routes on Thursday, 8 October. The Lemosho, Londorosi and Rongai routes on Africa’s highest mountain are “safe for use,” the authority said.
Our report on the route closures covered the 28 September notice that shut Lemosho and Londorosi as the blaze moved toward the Shira Plateau. Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), the state agency that runs the park, has now lifted that suspension.
Three Routes Reopen After the Kilimanjaro Fire
TANAPA’s public notice No. 17/2026, signed by communications chief Catherine Mbena, was issued at its Arusha headquarters on 8 October. Tourists and licensed tour operators “may therefore resume climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through the reopened routes,” it says.
The Swahili version says the routes “zilikuwa zimefungwa kutokana na changamoto ya moto,” meaning they had been closed because of the fire. It lists Rongai, the northern route offered as an alternative on 28 September, among the three.
The authority thanked tourism businesses, visitors and the public for their patience during the closure. It ended with a welcome back to “Africa’s highest mountain.”
Two Fires on the Mountain in One Month
The season’s first Kilimanjaro fire was spotted near the Kenya border around 3:30 pm on Thursday, 3 September, TANAPA said. Flames were later seen on the slopes between Kibo and Mawenzi, two volcanic peaks, The Citizen, a Dar es Salaam daily, reported.
On Saturday, 5 September, Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Ashatu Kijaji said more than 90 percent of that fire was contained. No one was hurt, she said, while TANAPA’s conservation commissioner, Masana Mwishawa, said climbers kept using the Rongai route, far from the flames.
By late September a second Kilimanjaro fire was burning in the Sangarini-Kamwanga area of Moshi District, moving toward the Shira Plateau. On Monday, 28 September, TANAPA suspended the Lemosho and Londorosi routes as a precaution, The Citizen and the state-owned Daily News reported.
Why the Kilimanjaro Fire Season Returns Each Year
Major Kilimanjaro fire outbreaks hit in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023, each in September or October, according to The Citizen. Dr Kijaji noted in early September that this is the dry season, when vegetation on the slopes is dry.
TANAPA’s conservation commissioner, Masana Mwishawa, says people start these fires. “Fire cannot start by itself; it is started by human beings,” he said in September.
Dr Kijaji said people taking tourists up the mountain might have started the early-September fire, but added that something else could have happened. In October 2020, a fire in the Whona area flared up again after officials first said it was under control.
The 2022 fires burned for several days at sites including Karanga River, Umbwe, Barranco and parts of the Marangu route. Umbwe and Marangu are climbing routes themselves, so the fires do not stay in remote corners of the park.
Which Kilimanjaro Routes Are Open Now
TANAPA says Lemosho, Londorosi and Rongai are among six routes visitors use to climb Kilimanjaro. Its fire notices never listed Machame or Marangu as closed, and both were offered as alternatives on 28 September.
Lemosho and Londorosi approach from the west and cross the Shira Plateau, the high, open ground the late-September Kilimanjaro fire was moving toward. Machame approaches from the south-west, Marangu from the south-east and Rongai from the north.
Kilimanjaro is the world’s largest free-standing volcanic mountain, rising to 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) at Uhuru Peak. It draws thousands of climbers from around the world each year, The Citizen noted.
Kilimanjaro International Airport is a key gateway to the mountain but has no nonstop US flight, as our guide to Arusha in October notes. A change of route can change the number of days on the mountain, so confirm the schedule in writing with your operator.
How Tanzania Fights Fires on Kilimanjaro
TANAPA’s own conservation rangers lead the response, backed by the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force and the Tanzania Forest Services Agency. The Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, a community-run conservation zone west of the mountain, the Reserve Force and nearby villagers also help.
Helicopters supported crews at higher elevations during the early-September Kilimanjaro fire, Dr Kijaji said. The government has told TANAPA to buy its own helicopter and has started the purchase, so smoke can be spotted sooner.
Trained firefighting teams were posted near spots where fires often start for the dry season, the minister said. A fire can harm plants, insects, small animals, soil and water sources, Mwishawa added, while larger animals can move away.
Firefighting on the mountain is slow and hard. “There are gorges and steep slopes, which make the operation difficult,” Mwishawa said.
What It Means for US Readers
The State Department has rated Tanzania at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, since 31 October 2025. It cites unrest, crime, terrorism and the targeting of gay and lesbian people, and it does not mention Kilimanjaro.
American climbers moved off Lemosho, Londorosi or Rongai can ask their operator whether the original route is available again. Operators book the park permits, so any switch back, refund or price difference runs through them.
Past Kilimanjaro fire outbreaks have struck in September and October, so travel insurance terms on rerouting and delays are worth checking. TANAPA posted the reopening notice in English and Swahili on its website, tanzaniaparks.go.tz.
What Is Not Known
TANAPA has not said how much land the late-September Kilimanjaro fire burned or what started it. Its notices also give no date for when the Rongai route was shut.
Dr Kijaji promised an assessment of the cause and the damage of the early-September fire once it was fully out. Its findings, and any figure for the land burned this season, are the next things to watch.
In past seasons, fires on the mountain have flared again after being declared under control. TANAPA says the reopened routes are safe, but climbers should check the latest status with their operator before travelling.
More: Tanzania news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kilimanjaro fire still a risk for climbers?
TANAPA’s notice of 8 October says the Lemosho, Londorosi and Rongai routes are safe for use again after the recent fire. Ask your tour operator for the latest status before you travel.
Which Kilimanjaro routes were closed by the fire?
TANAPA suspended Lemosho and Londorosi on 28 September, and its 8 October notice says Rongai had also been closed. All three reopened on 8 October.
Can I climb Kilimanjaro now?
Yes. TANAPA says tourists and licensed tour operators may resume climbs on the reopened routes, and its fire notices never listed Machame or Marangu as closed.
Why does Kilimanjaro catch fire so often?
Most fires come in September and October, during the dry season, when vegetation on the slopes is dry. TANAPA’s conservation commissioner says they are started by people.
Sources: TANAPA, public notice No. 17/2026 on reopening of Lemosho, Londorosi and Rongai routes (English and Swahili), 8 October 2026; The Citizen, TANAPA suspends Lemosho and Londrosi routes, 28 September 2026; Daily News, TANAPA halts two routes used by tourists, 29 September 2026; The Citizen, fresh fire breaks out on Mount Kilimanjaro, 4 September 2026; The Citizen, Kilimanjaro fire 90 percent contained, 5 September 2026; The Citizen, 2020 fire in the Whona area, 17 October 2020; US State Department, Tanzania travel advisory, 31 October 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief