Ukraine forest fire reaches Chernobyl site, raising radiation concerns
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A substantial forest fire in Ukraine that has been raging for the past eight days has worryingly reached the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. Greenpeace Russia warned that the fire was no more than a kilometre away, posing a significant radiation risk. Despite the warning, the Ukrainian authorities are insisting that while its civil protection authorities were still fighting the fires, the situation was under control.
International news agency Reuters filmed footage late on Sunday showing black smoke and trees catching fire, as firefighters from helicopters struggling to put out the fires.
Chernobyl, the scene of the worst nuclear accident in 1986, is surrounded by blackened earth as the fire ravaged through surrounding forests.
The Emergency Situations Service said radiation levels have not reported any changes, and those in nearby Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, “did not exceed natural background levels”.
Dispute on the real numbers
Greenpeace Russia is however contesting these statements, insisting that the situation is significantly worse, with the fires covering an area at least 1,000 times bigger than that indicated by Ukraine. Local authorities are saying only 20 hectares have been affected by the blaze, but Greenpeace retorted that satellite images showed at least 12,000 hectares being affected by the fires.“According to satellite images taken on Monday, the area of the largest fire has reached 34,400 hectares,” it said, while explaining that a second spin-off fire, stretching across 12,600 hectares, was just one kilometre away from the former plant.
Rashid Alimov, head of energy projects at Greenpeace Russia, explained the fires, fanned by the wind, could disperse radionuclides, atoms that emit radiation. “A fire approaching a nuclear or hazardous radiation facility is always a risk,” Alimov added.
Yaroslav Yemelianenko, who operates tours in the infamous city, which had gained popularity in recent years, wrote on Facebook that the fire had definitely reached the abandoned city of Pripyat, which was just two kilometres away from where “the most highly active radiation waste of the whole Chernobyl zone is located”.
The Ukrainian police have meanwhile held for questioning a 27 year old local who stands accused of starting the blaze.
