A new fire broke out in another place of the Sundarbans on Sunday afternoon a few hours after firefighters, forest staff and volunteers brought an earlier fire under control after hours of efforts.
Forest Department officials said that they started monitoring the new 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.
Khulna circle conservator of forests Imran Ahmed said that the new fire originated some 3 kilometres away from the nearby water body, the Bhola River.
鈥榃e are struggling to control the fire for the lack of nearby water sources,鈥� he said.
They have already set a fire line surrounding the fire, he said, adding that there is no chance to cross the fire line.
Forest officials said that when they were struggling to control one fire, another such incident happened within a short distance putting pressure on them.
The forest department formed a three-member probe committee to investigate the fire incidents and to find the cause and damages.
Earlier, the fire service, forest department and local volunteers brought a fire that broke out in the nearby area under control on Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after it broke out.
According to the forest officials, some聽foresters聽spotted first the fire at around 7:00am on Saturday.
Dry leaves fuelled the flames, causing the fire to spread rapidly, local people said, adding that several hundred trees and plants have already been burnt.
They also said that thick smoke and sporadic flames remained visible in some places in the Tepar Bil area under the Kolomteji Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division.
The extent of the damage and the origin of the fires remain uncertain.
Bagerhat Fire Service deputy assistant director, Sakaria Haider, said that five firefighting units were deployed to bring the fire under control.
He said that fire service punps and forest department鈥檚 pumps were being used to spray water in the area.
He said that the nearest water source, the dead Bhola River, wasa at least three kilometres away.
The investigation committee was formed headed by assistant conservator of forests Dipon Chandra Das of the Chandpai Range. The other members of the committee are Dhansagar station officer Bipuleshwar Das and Kolmateji patrol outpost in-charge Rafiqul Islam.
The committee was asked to submit a report within seven working days, determining the cause of the fire and assessing the extent of forest damage.
Forest officials admitted that the frequency of fire incidents increased in the Sundarbans over the past years.
They said that due to sedimentation and blockades on different canals water could not reach all parts of the Sundarbans causing fires.
