More than 30 years later, the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is reasonably safe – but a recent wildfire has triggered a spike in radiation once again, 16 times higher than normal levels in the area.
The problem is that these fires emit radiation previously trapped in the soil, leaves, and wood of forests around the 30-kilometer Chernobyl exclusion zone. Although it has become relatively safe for short periods, things change dramatically when a fire breaks out.
According to AP, on Saturday April 4, a fire broke out in the village of Vladimirovka, which eventually covered more than 100 hectares.
Measurements taken near the center of the fire showed a background radiation level of 2.3 μSv / h, well above the 0.14 level that would normally be expected here. The maximum safe level for humans is 0.5 μSv / h.
The destruction was extensive and many radioactive isotopes were released as a result. However, the Ukrainian authorities were keen to emphasize that the neighborhoods farther from the fire are safe.
According to Yegor Firsov, head of the environmental inspection service in Ukraine, it is safe to go outside and open windows in the city of Kiev, about 100 kilometers from the power plant.
Experts have been warning about the dangers of wildfires around Chernobyl for several years now, and officials are calling for tighter restrictions on access to the area.
However, with or without direct human assistance, such fires are common in the region surrounding the former crash site.
Sources: Photo: (Yaroslav Emelianenko / AFP)
