Forest fire in Chernobyl's nuclear zone stirs controversy

The 1986 Chernobyl reactor explosion was the world's worst nuclear accident

Published: April 08, 2020 08:27 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

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A forest fire in the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone spread further Tuesday, fanned by strong winds, authorities said, insisting that radiation levels remained normal. Image Credit: AFP

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On Sunday, Yegor Firsov, acting head of Ukraine's state ecological inspection service, said in a Facebook post that radiation levels at the centre of the fire were higher than normal. Image Credit: AP

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But government agencies rejected that finding and Firsov himself later withdrew his remarks. Image Credit: AFP

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A geiger counter measures a radiation level at a site of fire burning in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, outside the village of Rahivka, Ukraine. Image Credit: Reuters

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Firefighters have been battling a blaze that broke out at the weekend in the wooded zone around the ruined Chernobyl reactor that exploded in 1986 in the world's worst nuclear accident. Image Credit: Reuters

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The fire covered some 35 hectacres (87 acres), having tripled in size due to strong winds, the emergencies service said in a statement, adding that background radiation levels remained "within normal limits". Image Credit: Reuters

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Police said the blaze broke out after a man set fire to dry grass near the exclusion zone. Image Credit: AP

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An aerial view of a forest fire burning near the village of Volodymyrivka in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine. Image Credit: AP

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An unhabited house burns in the middle of a forest fire near the village of Volodymyrivka, in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine. Image Credit: AP

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Chernobyl zone workers extinguish a forest fire burning near the village of Volodymyrivka, in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine. Image Credit: AP

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Fires occur regularly in the forests near the Chernobyl power plant. Image Credit: AFP

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