The State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations published footage of the fire extinguishing on Monday, June 29. According to the Reuters agency, more than 200 members of the rescue services and approximately 60 pieces of specialized equipment were deployed in the intervention. It is not yet known why the fire started.
The closed zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is an area of approximately 2,600 square kilometers north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. It was created after the accident of the power plant in 1986, and access to it is significantly restricted due to persistent radioactive contamination.
According to the authorities, radiation values are continuously monitored even during a forest fire and remain at normal values.
The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute pointed out that the smoke from the fires that broke out last week spread towards the south over the weekend. It worsened air quality and visibility in Kyiv and its surroundings. At the same time, meteorologists warn that the northerly flow will resume in the next few days and the smoke may return again over the Ukrainian metropolis.
Warm and dry weather, which has affected a large part of Europe in recent days, contributes to the spread of fires. The risk of new forest fires therefore remains elevated in many places.
