Spraying water to douse Sundarbans fire not possible till Sunday morning: Fire service

Efforts to douse the fire, which broke out in Sundarbans this morning, would not be possible before tomorrow morning as there is no water source available nearby, according to the fire service.

"By Saturday evening, we managed to lay pipelines for 1.5 kilometers [to carry water from the Bhola River]. Work was halted due to nightfall, and the remaining 1.5 kilometers of pipelines will be installed on Sunday morning before water spraying begins," said Aftab-e-Alam, acting station officer of Sarankhola Fire Station in Bagerhat, reports UNB.

The blaze, which erupted in the Tepar Beel area under the Kolomteji Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division this morning (22 March), seared through trees and vegetation, with smoke rising across the forest.

The blaze could not be brought under control even after 12 hours.

According to the Fire Service, the fire broke out about three kilometres away from the Bhola River and the nearest locality. While five fire service units were dispatched to the Sundarbans, only one unit managed to reach the site and the other four could not. 

Sakaria Haidar, deputy assistant director (DAD) of Bagerhat Fire Station, said, "Five fire units from Bagerhat, Morrelganj, Mongla, Sarankhola, and Kochua are working to extinguish the fire. Firefighters are actively engaged in the operation. So far, only the Sarankhola unit has reached the fire site."

In an attempt to prevent the fire from spreading further, forest guards, earlier on the day, started cutting fire lines around the affected zone.

Dipen Chandra Das, assistant conservator of Forests (ACF) of Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, said, "A firebreak has been created over a 1.5-kilometer area to prevent the fire from spreading further. 

"The Forest Department, fire brigade, and local villagers are working together to control the fire. However, due to the lack of a nearby water source, no water could be sprayed on the fire until Saturday evening."

He could not confirm the cause of the fire or the extent of damage immediately.

According to the Forest Department, some foresters spotted the fire at around 7am. Dry leaves fueled the flames, causing the fire to spread rapidly. The Forest Department confirmed the fire around 3pm and had begun preliminary efforts to contain it.

Speaking to The Business Standard earlier today, Bipuleshwar Das, station officer of the Dhansagar station under the Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Forest Department, said, "There is no water source nearby. The fire is burning deep inside the forest, approximately two to two and a half kilometres from the canal. Water pumps will be transported by waterway when the canal experiences high tide."

Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East Forest Department, had stated that he was on his way to the site and would provide further details upon arrival.

Panna Mia, a former union parishad member of Dhansagar, said, "Smoke was visible in the Tepar beel area of the Kolomtezi Forest Patrol outpost area this morning. The matter has been reported to the Dhansagar station officers."

29 fires in 19 years

According to the Forest Department, the Sundarbans, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, has experienced 29 fire incidents over the past 19 years, burning approximately 85 acres of forest land.

On 4 May 2024, a fire broke out in Latifer Chhila under the Amurbunia Forest Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division. A forest department investigation revealed that 7.98 acres of forest were burned in that incident. However, the committee could not determine the exact cause of the fire.

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

On 26 May 2017, another fire occurred in Abdullah Chhila under the Nangli Forest Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Eastern Sundarbans.