Fire yet again in the Sundarbans Sarankhola Range
This time, the fire broke out on the south side of the Dasher Bharani forest that caught fire on Monday
A fire broke out in the Dasher Bharani forest of the Sarankhola Range in the Sundarbans East Forest Division of Bagerhat district on Wednesday morning, hours after another fire was extinguished in the same area on Tuesday at around 5 pm.
This time, the fire broke out on the south side of the Dasher Bharani forest that caught fire on Monday.
The fire service postponed their operation at around 5 pm on Wednesday due to inadequate daylight, so the fire is still burning. If the fire is not extinguished overnight due to rain or any other natural causes, the fire service will resume operations on Thursday morning.
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Joynal Abedin, assistant conservator of forests, Sharankhola Range, Sundarbans East Forest Department, said some officials and employees of the forest department would spend the night in the area to keep an eye on the fire.
"We were able to put out the fire that broke out on Monday by Tuesday evening. But on Wednesday morning, smoke was billowing out of some places on the south side of the fire site. Later, the fire spread to other places," he added.
Md Golam Sarwar, assistant director, Fire Service and Civil Defense, Bagerhat, said that three units of the fire service have been working since morning to bring the fire under control.
"Firefighters were working using 25 delivery pipes to bring water from the River Bhola to the fire spot. Later, 10 more pipes were added. A fire line has been created around the fire by the forest department and our staff, so the fire is unlikely to spread," Sarwar added.
Sarwar said equipment of the fire department remains in the forest so the operation will be resumed in the morning if the fire is still burning.
He added that the intensity and extent of Wednesday's fire were much bigger than Monday's.
"We are estimating that scattered fires are burning in at least 10 acres of forest. There are thick layers of dried leaves where the fire started so the fire is not easily extinguished when we douse it with water," he added.
Earlier on Monday, a fire broke out in the same area, and firefighters, the forest department and locals put out the fire after 30 hours of frantic efforts. In the last 20 years, there have been some 26 fires in the Sundarbans.
