Major blaze in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

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A major blaze has broken out in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – the site of the worst nuclear disaster in human history. The fire hit a forest some 20 kilometers away from the ill-famed nuclear power station.

Large wildfire engulfs forest in Chernobyl EXCLUSION ZONE, Large wildfire engulfs forest in Chernobyl EXCLUSION ZONE february 2019, Large wildfire engulfs forest in Chernobyl EXCLUSION ZONE feb 2019
Large wildfire engulfs forest in Chernobyl’s EXCLUSION ZONE. Picture by www.dsns.gov.ua

The blaze inside Chernobyl’s ‘dead zone’ in northern Ukraine started on Sunday when dry grass caught fire, the Ukrainian emergency service said in a statement. The blaze then reached a forest near the abandoned village of Bychki located some 24km (15 miles) away from the damaged nuclear reactor.

Some 5 hectares (12 acres) of forest went up in flames. Three firefighting vehicles and 18 emergency crew members were dispatched to tackle the blaze, according to the emergency service’s statement.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area heavily contaminated by the disaster, has repeatedly witnessed wildfires over recent years. A large fire broke out there in June 2018. Another blaze, which scorched 25 hectares (60 acres) of land, hit it in 2017.

While the burning of possible radioactive wood and shrubs could release some dangerous combustion products into the atmosphere, the statement issued by Ukrainian officials mentioned no such risks for now.

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[DNS.gov.ua, RT]

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