On Friday, a large forest fire engulfed the zone around the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Radiation levels in the area remain “within normal values,” AFP reported, citing local authorities. The Chernobyl Nature Reserve Administration, which manages the area after the 1986 nuclear accident, reported that as of 10:00 a.m. local time, the fire had spread to an area of approximately 1,100 hectares.
According to Ukrainian media, fighting the fire is complicated by strong winds, which cause the fire to spread quickly, and drought. In some areas there is also a risk of exploding mines, which is why firefighting has been suspended there. AFP added that on Thursday, near the so-called the exclusion zone around the power plant was crashed by a drone. Ukrainian media reminded that this is not the first fire in the closed zone. Human activities or short circuits in electrical lines are often cited as causes.
One of the last big fires in the closed zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant happened in April 2020. Several hundred people and dozens of pieces of equipment were called to extinguish the fire. The Chernobyl exclusion zone is an area heavily contaminated with radionuclides after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986. The forests and swamps surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant are considered to be the most contaminated areas.
