Firefighters brought a devastating fire in the world鈥檚 largest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans, 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鈥檚 first UNESCO World Heritage Site, forest officials said.
A three-member body, headed by Dipen Chandra Das, assistant conservator of forests of Chandpai Range in the Sunderbans East Division, was formed and asked to submit a report within seven working days, said Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, divisional forest official of Sunderbans 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 River Bhola to douse the flames, with firefighters joining them on Sunday morning at about 8:00am.
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.
He informed that following recommendations from an earlier investigation into the Sunderbans 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 Sunderbans by crossing the River Bhola 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 was almost fully extinguished, with about 90 per cent of it put out by 11:30am on Sunday.
No flames were visible, though occasional smoke was seen, prompting immediate water spraying, he said.
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 would 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 at about 7:00am on Saturday in the Taper Beel area of Kolomteji Camp under the Dhansagar Station in the Chandpai Range of the Sunderbans East Zone.
This marks the 29th fire incident in the Sunderbans over the past 19 years. The last major fire occurred on May 4, 2024. Over time, nearly 85 acres of forest land in the Sunderbans have been destroyed by fires.
