United News of Bangladesh

A new fire broke out in another part of the Sundarbans on Sunday few hours after firelighters brought fire under control in a part in the forest . The Forest Department noticed a blaze in the dense forest area of Shaplar Bil, near the 23 Sher Siler of Dhansagar Patrol Post in the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Division in Bagerhat district. Then the Forest Department has started monitoring the fire using a drone. Kazi Mohammad Nurul Karim, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division, said that they are actively gathering information after reports of the fire at Shaplar Bil. Forest Department staff and fire station workers are on their way to the location and that detailed information would only be available once the forest staff  arrive at the site, he said. Sundarbans fire under control; probe committee formed Bagerhat’s  Sharankhola Fire Station In-charge Aftab-e-Alam  said that fire station personnel have also been dispatched to the site after receiving reports of the new fire. On  Saturday, at around 7am, members of the Forest Department noticed a fire at the Tapar Bil area near the Kolmatji Camp of the Dhansagar Station in the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Division.  Firefighters brought the blaze under full control on Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after it broke out.

Firefighters brought a devastating fire in the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, under full control on Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after it broke out. The fire caused damages to four acres of the forest, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, forest officials said. A three-member body, headed by Dipen Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, was formed and asked to submit a report within seven working days, said Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Official (DFO) of Sundarbans East Division. The probe body also includes Bipuleshwar Chandra Das, an officer of Dhansagar Station, and Md Rafiqul Islam, in-charge of Kolomteji Patrol Outpost. DFO Nurul Karim said forest officials and local villagers worked tirelessly throughout Saturday night to extinguish the fire by using water from the Bhola River to douse the flames, with firefighters joining them on Sunday morning around 8am. A pipeline was set up to transport water from the Bhola River and the fire is now under control, the forest official said, adding that smoke can still be seen in some areas, By 11:30am on Sunday, there were no visible flames in the forest area, he said. Sundarbans fire: No water sprayed even 12 hours after detection due to lack of nearby source He informed that following recommendations from an earlier investigation into the Sundarbans fire on May 4, 2024, authorities had halted permission for honey collectors in Compartments 24, 25, and 27. But this year, the honey collection season is set to begin on April 1. The DFO suspected that illegal honey collectors might have entered the forest before the season officially began and the fire could have originated from their torches or discarded cigarette butts. Besides, herders who illegally bring their livestock into the Sundarbans by crossing the Bhola River might have also been responsible, as their discarded cigarettes could have sparked the fire, he suspected. ACF Dipen said that a fire-line spanning 1.5 kilometres was created in the affected area to prevent the flames from spreading further. The fire is now under full control, with only minor damages being reported to Balla and Nal forests. Aftab-e-Alam, officer-in-charge of Sarankhola Fire Station in Bagerhat, said that the fire is almost fully extinguished, with about 90 percent of it put out by 11:30am on Sunday. No flames were visible, though occasional smoke was seen, prompting immediate water spraying, he said. Sundarbans at stake as erosion shrinks forest land The fire service official said that three fire units from Bagerhat Sadar, Morrelganj, and Sarankhola, along with forest officials and local villagers, were actively involved in the firefighting efforts. The exact cause and extent of the damage will be determined once the Forest Department releases its investigation report, he said. Besides, some firefighters have been dispatched to the Gulisakhali area of the forest after receiving reports of another fire incident on Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 7am on Saturday in the Taper Beel area of Kolomteji Camp under the Dhansagar Station in the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Zone. This marks the 29th fire incident in the Sundarbans over the past 19 years. The last major fire occurred on May 4, 2024. Over time, nearly 85 acres of forest land in the Sundarbans have been destroyed by fires.

Firefighting efforts started this morning in the Sundarbans East Zone’s Amurbunia area, following a fire that erupted on Saturday (May 04, 2024). The operation, which began at 9 am on Sunday (May 05, 2024), saw the coordinated efforts of the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Forest Guard, and Fire Service. The initial response was led by a ten-member team from the Mongla naval base. Following this, members of the Fire Service attempted to set up water extraction from the nearby Bhola River. However, the operation faced a setback due to low tide conditions, delaying the water supply. Probe committee formed over Sundarbans fire Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Zone, stated that logistical challenges prevented the operation from starting sooner. "The Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force joined the Fire Service this morning to accelerate efforts. Local volunteers are also lending significant support," he reported. Mamun Ahmed, Deputy Director of Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense, detailed the deployment of additional firefighting units. "Five units from various locations were dispatched to the site this morning, with three from Mongla, Morrelganj, and Shoronkhola actively engaging in the firefighting efforts. The remaining two units are on standby," he said. Fire breaks out at Sundarbans

A fire broke out again near Daser Bharani under Sharankhola Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division on Wednesday, a day after another fire raged through the area on Tuesday . Residents of South Rajapur Char village noticed the fire and informed the Forest Department about the fire at around 7 am. Forest Department and fire brigade members went to the spot at 10:30 am and sprayed water till 4pm to put out the blaze. Sharankhola Fire Service Station officer-in-charge Abdus Sattar said, "We were able to put out the blaze in Daser Varani area of the Sundarbans after 2-day’s efforts. The fire broke out again in the same area on Wednesday.” Also read: Sundarbans fire finally under control; probe body formed Fire fighters will again start spraying water in the area on Thursday morning. Head of the investigation committee and Assistant Forest Conservator (ACF) of Sharankhola Range Md. Joynal Abedin said there was no reason to worry. The fire has been controlled by pouring water as there was a small fire and smoke. “This fire will be completely doused if we spray water continuously”. He said the investigation committee has already begun work to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of damages. Also read: Sundarbans fire proving difficult to put out According to DFO Muhammad Belayet Hossain, the two-day fire burnt herbs of 1.31 acres of forest land in Das's Varani area of the Sundarbans on Monday and Tuesday. There was no damage to large trees or wildlife. The forest area is being monitored by the forest department constantly, he said. A fire, which had raged through Daser Bharani under Sharankhola Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division for nearly 24 hours since Monday morning, was finally brought under control on Wednesday. The Forest Department formed a three-member probe body with Mohammad Joynal, the chief conservator of forest of the Sharankhola Range, as its head to probe the fire incident.

The fire that broke out at Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone under Sharankhola upazila was brought under control at 5pm. Local office of Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) said