The acting permanent secretary at the ministry, Moses Nkgowe, told Mmegi that when they learnt about the approaching fires last Thursday, an emergency meeting approved the P500, 000 budget for the construction of fire-breakers around the area amid fears that failure to preserve the site could lead to the loss of Tsodilo's status as a world heritage site.

There are conflicting reports about the extent of the damage caused by the fires. While the department of forestry and rangeland Management said the fires were raging on the hills yesterday, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, which is responsible for protected sites, said the fires were still some 40 kilometres away.

"The information we gathered today is that the fires are approaching," Nkgowe said. "We have put the police, the army and volunteers on high alert there."

Meanwhile, the acting director of the department of forestry, Raymond Kwerepe, says satellite images show that another highly regarded prestine site, the Gcwihaba Caves, has also caught fire.

But the ministry of culture has made another lukewarm reaction, saying it was not aware of any fires at Gcwihaba Caves.

"The fires at Gcwihaba caves are huge now," Kwerepe insisted. "The fires have also increased at the Okavango Delta; we see them outside and inside the Buffalo Fence."