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| Kenyan military deployed to fight fire in Tsavo park | Kenyan military deployed to fight fire in Tsavo park |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Authorities in Kenya have deployed the military to support fire fighters who are battling to put out a big fire at the Tsavo National Park. | |
| The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has blamed arsonists for the latest fire which started on Saturday. | |
| Hundred of local volunteers have also been called on to help. | Hundred of local volunteers have also been called on to help. |
| Tsavo, in south-eastern Kenya, is the country's biggest national park and home to hundreds of animals such as lions, elephants and buffaloes. | Tsavo, in south-eastern Kenya, is the country's biggest national park and home to hundreds of animals such as lions, elephants and buffaloes. |
| It is visited by thousands of local and international tourists each year. | It is visited by thousands of local and international tourists each year. |
| The fires come at a time when the Kenyan government is pushing for a revival of the crucial tourism industry which has lost $1bn (£770m) in revenue due to Covid-19. | |
| KWS described the fire as "horrendous" and thanked the hundreds of volunteers trying to put out the fire. | |
| "Your efforts and sacrifices are appreciated beyond words," the service said on Twitter. | |
| The military is also using helicopters to pour water on the fire. | |
| In July, several fires ravaged the Tsavo area. | |
| "The combination of long rains earlier in the year, which saw grasses grow tall, strong winds and inaccessible areas have made this a high fire risk period in Tsavo," a conservation group called the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust explained in July. | "The combination of long rains earlier in the year, which saw grasses grow tall, strong winds and inaccessible areas have made this a high fire risk period in Tsavo," a conservation group called the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust explained in July. |
| The trust tweeted a video of their efforts to put out those July fires: | The trust tweeted a video of their efforts to put out those July fires: |