Nairobi — A fire that broke out in the Lake Nakuru National Park continued unabated for the second day on Saturday.

The fire spread to the eastern side as Kenya Wildlife Service warders and Kenya Army soldiers battled to put it out yesterday.

It gutted down over 50km2 of acres of vegetation and euphorbia forest in the park.

Residents watch as fire guts down a flat at Kasarani Police line, Nakuru, on Saturday. Property worth thousands of shillings was destroyed. Picture: Lucas Thuo

Fire fighters from Comply and graders from China Road and Bridges Construction were brought in to reinforce fire fighters.

The team, led by Mr Charles Muthui, the Lake Nakuru National Park senior warden, spent the entire day and night on Friday fighting the fire and to prevent it from spreading to the lodges.

Firebreaks were quickly created around Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru Lodge and Mbweha camp.

People living around the park joined in the exercise as KWS headquarters sent in a helicopter to assist in monitoring.

Muthui said the fire started at 9am on Friday in Lord Delamere's Soysambu ranch and spread into the southern part of the park.

The fire has destroyed about 50sqkm of vegetation, which is pasture to hundreds of animals.

A woman who was burning a bush in an estate neighbouring the Soysambu ranch, is suspected to have started the fire.

There were no reports on whether wild animals were burnt. Most of them fled to the northern part of the lake.

Elsewhere, a mysterious fire burnt down a flat at the Kasarani Police Line in Nakuru yesterday.

The fire burnt the whole flat that housed 14 families of police officers. It took the police and fire fighters from Comply company 30 minutes to put it out.

Nakuru OCPD, Mr Francio Nyamatari, said the fire started at around 12.30pm in one of the houses at the three-storied house.