2 KNP camps evacuated amid raging fires

NATIONAL NEWS - Two camps in the Kruger National Park (KNP) experienced raging fires last night.

The affected camps were Tamboti and Maroela, and all guests were evacuated to Orpen Rest Camp as a safety precaution.

According to KNP spokesperson Issac Phaahla, the local section ranger, Greg Bond, and his team, with 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 by 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 to Bond for working tirelessly until the fires were under control,” he says.

Phaahla adds that no damage to property or injuries had been reported thus far. The fires are suspected to be runaway fires. The teams remain in the field gathering information regarding the incident.

Some of the fires in the KNP. Photo: KNP