Tanzania firies fight Mt Kilimanjaro blaze

Dense clouds of smoke as well as winds were making the work difficult for the 320 firefighters at the scene. 

The fire is burning at an altitude of about 3900 metres.

Tanzania's National Parks Authority said easily flammable plants grow on the affected portion of the mountain, in a climatic zone similar to heathland.

It is not the first fire on Kilimanjaro. 

About two years ago, residents and staff of the the parks authority managed to extinguish a fire after a few days. 

At about 6000 metres, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent and a popular tourist destination in Tanzania. 

Every year, about 50,000 people make their way to the summit.