A three-member probe committee has been formed over the fire that broke out in the Amurbunia area at Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone on Saturday afternoon.

Rana Dev, assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Chandpai Range, Sundarbans, is head of the committee.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within the next seven days, Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Zone said.

DFO Nurul Karim said that the fire might have originated from a cigarette or the fire from the honey collectors. However, the exact cause would be known after getting the investigation report, he added.

He also said the fire is now under control.

Morelganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Tariq Sultan said that the matter has been informed to the higher officials. “Various government agencies are working to extinguish the fire,” he added.

According to the locals, fire has already spread in the forest. The severity of fires in dry forests is increasing.  “As there is no water nearby, it would not be easy to bring the fire under control.”

They alleged that some unscrupulous people often enter the forest illegally to extract honey. They collect honey from the beehive by burning torches. They believed that fire could start from the fire of their burning torches.

According to the Forest Department, there have been 28 fire incidents in the Sundarbans in the last 18 years.

About 80 acres of forest land was burnt in those fires.

Earlier on May 3, 2021, a fire broke out in the Bharani area of Daser Varani area in Sundarbans.

On May 26, 2017, a fire broke out in Abdullah's Chhila area under Nangli Forest Camp of Chandpai Range in the East Zone.

In that fire, about five acres of small trees and vines were burnt to ashes.