Namibia sends troops and helicopters as fire devours a third of Etosha National Park
Wind-driven flames have ripped through roughly one-third of Etosha National Park, one of southern Africa’s most important wildlife reserves, prompting Namibia to deploy helicopters and hundreds of additional troops to bolster firefighting efforts. The blaze — believed to have started at a charcoal production site outside the park — has killed wildlife, shredded grazing and breeding ground, and prompted sharp criticism of the government’s preparedness.
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Fast-moving fire, widening footprint
Authorities said the fire spread rapidly from the park’s western margins into its vast plains, chewing through woodland and grassland in Omusati and Oshana regions along the border with Angola. At least nine antelope have been reported dead and officials warn that damage to habitat could have longer-term impacts on Etosha’s wildlife populations, including the critically endangered black rhino that the park helps shelter.
In an extraordinary mobilization, the government has dispatched helicopters to douse flames from the air and committed an extra 500 troops to support firefighters, police and volunteer brigades already fighting on the ground. The reinforcements arrive as charred earth and smoke continue to hamper visibility across parts of the park, a place known as much for its shimmering salt pan as for the elephants, lions and migratory birds it draws.
Tourism and conservation at risk
Etosha is a cornerstone of Namibia’s wildlife tourism industry, with the government saying about 200,000 visitors arrive each year. For local communities and businesses that depend on tourism dollars — lodges, guides, restaurants and transport operators — the fire threatens livelihoods even as it imperils the ecosystems that underwrite the industry.
“This park is the backbone of our wildlife economy,” said a tourism operator in Windhoek reached by phone who asked not to be named. “If large parts of it are lost or closure is prolonged, the knock-on effects will be felt across the country.”
Beyond the immediate economic concerns, conservationists warn that fires of this scale can unsettle fragile balances: breeding grounds disrupted, migratory pathways altered, and the slow work of recovery complicated by drought and grazing pressure. Etosha hosts more than a hundred mammal species and draws hundreds of migratory birds — including flamingos that congregate on seasonal pans — making it a globally significant reserve.
Blame, preparedness and the charcoal question
Officials say the blaze likely began at a charcoal production site outside the park and spread into protected areas when winds picked up. Charcoal production — often a local livelihood in rural southern Africa — can be informal and poorly regulated, turning into a source of wildfires when kilns are left smoldering or when brush is cleared carelessly.
Opposition MP Likando Rodrick publicly criticised the government’s handling of the response, saying the scale of the blaze revealed gaps in preparedness and calling for more robust, long-term measures to prevent similar disasters. The critique reflects a broader debate in Namibia and across the region about balancing rural incomes, forest and veld protection, and investing in prevention rather than merely reacting to emergencies.
“We need better planning and resources for fire prevention and containment, especially in areas bordering our protected parks,” Rodrick said in parliament, according to a transcript of his remarks. His comments echo calls for clearer regulation of charcoal production, improved early-warning systems, and cross-border cooperation on fire risk management.
Neighbours and climate context
Fires that begin near international frontiers present added complexity. Etosha lies near the Angola border, and smoke and embers do not respect fences. Effective prevention and suppression often require collaboration with neighbouring countries on land-use practices and emergency response — a challenge in regions where resources are thin.
Scientists and fire managers also point to a warming, drying climate across southern Africa that is lengthening fire seasons and making vegetation more flammable. Higher temperatures, punctuated rains and then prolonged dry spells mean that what was once a seasonal risk is becoming a year-round concern in many landscapes.
“Across the region, we are seeing fire behavior change,” said a southern African ecologist who specialises in savanna dynamics. “That means we need to rethink how we manage landscapes — including controlled burns, community engagement, and investment in firefighting capacity.”
Recovery questions and the road ahead
As crews battle to contain the last active fronts, attention will quickly turn to recovery: how to rehabilitate scorched land, support displaced wildlife, and assess whether rare species have suffered population hits. For species such as the black rhino, low reproductive rates and small population sizes make any additional threat especially worrying.
Namibia’s response — the use of military personnel, aerial firefighting and volunteer mobilization — mirrors a trend in many countries where emergency services increasingly rely on multi-agency rapid deployments to confront mega-fires. But critics argue that reliance on reactive tactics without parallel investment in prevention is a costly cycle.
For visitors who cherish Etosha’s wide open skies and plains dotted with ghostly termite mounds and for Namibians whose livelihoods are tied to its fortunes, the questions are immediate and practical: How long will parts of the park be closed? When will roads and lodges reopen? And what steps will be taken to reduce the chance of a similar blaze next season?
The answers will shape not only the immediate rehabilitation of a national treasure, but also broader conversations about how countries manage land, livelihoods and climate risks in an era when fire regimes are changing.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
