Overview

• The blaze that began around September 22 burned roughly 854,000 hectares inside Etosha and about 170,000 hectares in surrounding areas.
• All fires inside the park have been doused, with officials watching key areas such as waterholes as smaller, contained fires outside the park are addressed.
• Vendors at the Ombika gate report losing peak-season income, with some saying they are struggling to buy food as tourist traffic dropped sharply.
• Travel operators say Etosha remains open with game drives running and lodges unaffected, and they urge visitors not to cancel trips.
• Criticism of the response has intensified, with some calling the week-long fire preventable, while investigations into likely human-caused ignition continue and the wildlife death toll remains unconfirmed.