Ten firefighting units are currently working to douse the fire in the Sundarbans today as the blaze has spread across at least half a kilometre in the Shaplar Beel area of Teisher Shila.

"This fire is more intense than the one at Kolomteji. The flames are scattered across multiple locations. Ten fire service units from Bagerhat and Khulna have been working since Saturday to control the blaze. Water spraying operations have now begun," Khulna Fire Service's Deputy Director Motiar Rahman said.

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Fire breaks out in Sundarbans again

Kazi Mohammad Nurul Karim, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Forest Division, said, "When we were still working to extinguish the fire at Kolomteji Patrol Outpost, a new blaze erupted at Shaplar Beel."

Using drone and GPS tracking, the fire fighters detected the origin of the blaze around 11:30am and rushed to the scene, the forest official said.

Star photo

"Upon arrival, we found intense flames in some areas, while thick smoke billowed from others. The fire is spreading rapidly due to light winds inside the forest. Along with local villagers and forest officials, we have created firebreaks to limit its spread. After that, we began spraying water using pipelines," he said.

However, the fire service has yet to determine how many acres have been affected. Similar to Kolomteji, the nearest water source is about three kilometres away. While the Kolomteji fire is now fully under control, the area is under observation.

He further stated, "We have not yet identified the cause of the fire or assessed the full extent of the damage. To investigate the incident and evaluate the destruction, a three-member committee has been formed, led by Assistant Forest Conservator Dipan Chandra Das of the Chandpai Range. Once we receive their report, we will have more details."

The fire had broken out in the Kolomteji Patrol Outpost area of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Forest Division on Saturday.