Namibia deployed 500 soldiers Sunday to help to fight a fire that has burned through a third of the vast Etosha National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves, officials said.

The park in the north of the largely desert nation is home to 114 species of mammals, notably the critically endangered black rhinoceros, and is a major tourist attraction.

The fire started on September 22 and spread rapidly because of strong winds and dry vegetation, causing extensive ecological damage, the environment ministry and presidency said.

The tourism ministry announced it had closed certain tourist routes and warned visitors to be cautious as the wind direction could change unpredictably.

After an emergency cabinet meeting Saturday, the government deployed 500 troops and two helicopters to the ar

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