Sundarbans fire is “contained” on the second day as Bangladesh makes use of firebreaks and a helicopter.

In the Amarbunia forest of the Sundarbans’ eastern Chandpai range in Bagerhat, a forest fire persisted into its second day but has reportedly been brought under control.

Although not fully extinguished, the Forest Department declared the fire contained on Sunday, attributing the success to collaborative efforts from the navy, coastguards, fire service, and forest guards.

A helicopter from the Bangladesh Navy aided in dousing the flames with water, complementing the efforts of five units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, which had been working since Sunday morning. Local villagers also joined forces with the Forest Department to combat the blaze.

Dipankar Bar, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, confirmed the fire’s containment around 1 pm, though efforts to fully extinguish it were ongoing.

Officials reported that the fire had been limited to the forest floor and had not reached the tree canopy. Firebreaks were established through digging to contain the spread.

The fire affected an area of approximately 1.61 hectares, with the cause and extent of damage yet to be determined.

High-ranking officials, including Conservator of Forest Mihir Kumar Dey and Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Khalid Hossain, visited the site to assess the situation.

Following the outbreak on Saturday afternoon, locals and forest guards rushed to the scene with water-filled containers to combat the flames.

Mihir emphasized the importance of creating firebreaks to control forest fires, stating that although flames were no longer visible, smoke persisted in some areas due to the presence of dry leaves.

He cautioned that the fire area would need to be monitored for the next few days, as underground roots could reignite the flames.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change highlighted the potential for the fire to spread through tree roots underground, emphasizing the need for cautious extinguishing efforts. They announced continued firefighting activities over the next few days to prevent any resurgence of the blaze.

Additionally, an Air Force helicopter contributed to the firefighting efforts by dispersing water from above, as stated in the report.

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