The forest on Muhabura Mountain, located in Burera District in the Northern Province, was engulfed in a fire on the morning of August 14, 2026.
A resident of Nyagahinga Cell in Cyanika Sector, reported that the fire started in the middle of the mountain at 6:00 PM, and it has grown so much that extinguishing it requires a long walk.
He said, “The forest we saw was engulfed this morning at 6:00 AM, we are trying to see if there are people to put it out, but we see none, it is still burning. So now we are talking from the mountain, we are trying to put it out.”
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Residents Say Their Properties Are Not at Risk
Residents of Nyagahinga expressed that they are not worried that this fire will damage their properties because it is far from where they live, as there is a distance of two kilometers between them and the mountain.
The Governor of the Northern Province, Mugabowagahunde Maurice, told IGIHE that leaders from various sectors have gone to monitor the fire extinguishing activities and that he is confident that there will be no more damage.
He said, “That’s right, we are all there, we went to extinguish it. I hope it will be resolved without much damage.”
Fire Begins to Subside
Residents say that by 3 p.m., the fire had begun to subside on the Muhabura Mountain, and there is hope that they can extinguish it.
The extent of the damage is not yet known because at the time of writing this story, the fire was still burning, and residents are trying to extinguish it.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Residents say that some of them may have gone to the Volcanoes Park to collect honey, and to do so, they need to light a torch [for burning bees], and they are suspected of starting the fire.
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Muhabura Last Affected by Fire in 2009
The last time the volcano was affected by a fire was in 2009.
Muhabura Volcano is 4,127 meters high, making it the second tallest of the five volcanoes in Rwanda.
During the dry season, the vegetation in the various parks, including the one in which Muhabura Volcano is located, dries up. There is a high risk of fire if a fire breaks out.
