Sundarban fire brought under control after 30 hours of hectic efforts

The fire that erupted yesterday (May 4) at Amurbunia patrol camp at Jeudhara station under Chandpai range of Sundarban East Forest Division has been brought under control today (May 5) in the afternoon after 30 hours of hectic efforts by army, navy, air force, coast guard and fire service.

A team of Bangladesh Air Force joined the efforts from 12:30pm today (April 5) to control the devastatingly spreading fire. Earlier, the army, navy, coast guard and fire service started the fire control efforts in a coordinated way from yesterday.

Morelganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Tarek Sultan said, “Hours of coordinated hectic efforts by the forest department, volunteers, navy, coast guard, police, upazila administration and local representatives succeed in bringing the fire under control, saving the world’s largest natural mangrove forest.”

“The air force started showering water by a helicopter from 12:30 pm. Besides, personnel from the other agencies and forces along with volunteers also worked simultaneously on the ground. Thanks to their all-out and coordinated efforts, the UNESCO recognised world heritage site has been saved from catastrophic damage,” he added.

In a desperate bid to douse the fire that spread to a vast area of the mangrove forest, an air force helicopter showered water from above the affected forest area from a helicopter, said fire service sources.

They said earlier, on the second day of the continuing blaze, the fire service started working from early morning on Sunday (May 5).

Sources involved in the fire controlling attempt said in the morning, an air force helicopter arrived from Dhaka at 5:57 am. They returned at 8:50am after the observation. Then another helicopter arrived at 10:50 am and immediately started working to douse the fire.

Some 17 members of the Air Force took part in this operation led by Wing Commander Rajib. Along with forest department and local volunteers, two separate teams of Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy were also involved in dousing the fire.

Locals and fire service sources said the fire spread to at least three kilometres of the forest. Considering the danger in the forest area, the firefighting work was suspended at night, but the forest department, fire service, local residents and volunteers resumed the efforts in the morning. Two separate teams from the Coast Guard and the Navy joined in their support.

Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarban East Forest Division said, "We started working together again in the morning to douse the fire."

He said, “Sundarban East Forest Division has formed a three-member probe committee headed by Assistant Conservator of Forest Department’s Chandpai Range of Sundarbans Rana Dev. The committee will assess the cause of the fire and the extent of damage. The committee has been asked to submit its report within the next seven working days.”