Forest fire in Chernobyl reaches radioactive contamination zone

Ukraine's State Emergency Service released a video on Monday (29) showing firefighters fighting a forest fire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, north of Kiev.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exclusion zone is an officially designated area around the site of the nuclear reactor disaster. It was created shortly after the disaster by the Russian armed forces to cover the areas most affected by radioactive contamination.

Initially, the security zone was an area 30 kilometers in radius from the Chernobyl Power Plant, placed under military control.

Its boundaries were later expanded to cover a larger area of Ukrainian territory, approximately 2,600 km².

More than 200 emergency personnel and around 60 units of specialized equipment were mobilized to contain the flames, according to authorities.

Officials said radiation levels in the area are being continuously monitored and remain within normal limits.

Satellite monitoring, analyzed by the Hydrometeorological Institute of Ukraine, showed that smoke from fires that started in the Chernobyl exclusion zone on Thursday (25) spread south over the weekend, worsening air quality and visibility in the capital Kiev and neighboring regions.

The institute reported that satellite data detected plumes with high concentrations of carbon monoxide and aerosols extending up to 170 km from the fire areas, and warned that emissions could move towards Kiev again if northerly winds occurred.

There is no information about injuries or deaths.

Chernobyl shield can no longer contain radiation, says UN

Source: CNN