Chernobyl fire: what destroyed the fire, radiation levels and threats to people on April 17 – Ukraine

The situation with the fires in the Chernobyl area and its consequences. for Kiev and the region change daily.

TSN.ua collected everything that is currently known about the situation in the Exclusion Zone and the effects of the fires.

What destroyed the fire and what is the total area of ​​the fires?

Fire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone caused irreparable damage to fauna and flora and ecology. TSN reporters who visited the site said the fire destroyed not only forests but 12 remote villages and cemeteries. The territories of the ancient villages of Leliv, Kopachy, Polissye, Grezlya, Rudnya-Greslyansk, Koshivylivka, Varovychi, Buda-Varovychi, Martynovychi, Emerald, Volkhov, Chistogalivka have already burned down. The territory of the military city of Chernobyl-2 was burned down, and the city of Chernobyl was affected by the fire. As the fire fighting work is not yet complete, the total area of ​​the fires cannot be estimated, the Chornobyl Radiation Ecological Biosphere Reserve is observed. A preliminary estimate of the area of ​​the fires is approximately 11,500 hectares.

As a result of large-scale fires, about 30% of various tourist sites were burned in the Chernobyl area, said Yaroslav Yemelyanenko, director of the Chornobyl Tour and the Chornobyl Tour Operators Association in “Hromadsky”. In Kopachy, for example, the fire completely destroyed the legendary MTB-82 tank.

Consequences of fire.

The level of radiation and smog in Kyiv and the Kyiv region

Fire in the Chernobyl area caused smoke in Kiev and the region. So, as of 11 am on April 17, the air quality index in Kiev is 338 points, although the norm is up to 50. That is Ukraine’s capital remains the world’s most polluted air, iqair.com reports these data, which monitors air quality in the main cities of the world. KSCA asks residents of the capital not to leave the house and not to open the windows. The SES says that the smoke from Kiev has brought wind not only from the Chernobyl area but also from the Zhytomyr region, where there is also a fire.

The mayor of the capital Vitali Klitschko urged the residents of Kiev close windows. In turn, the Minister of Health, Maxim Stepanov, recommended that Kiev spend as much time as possible at home, Drink 2-3 liters of water per daydo not open windows and wet cleaning. The Ministry of Health also added that Smoke can cause headache, cough, shortness of breath, eye irritation, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and larynx.as well as a series of diseases and allergies. In the case of symptoms of intoxication, the products of combustion in the Ministry are urged to consult a doctor immediately.

As for the radiation background, Then both the SES, the Ukrhydromet Center and the Ukrainian State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone report that the radiation history in Kiev and the region does not exceed the norm. Only the combustion products in the air are exceeded.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who personally visited the Chornobyl area on the morning of April 17, also emphasized this. Yes, he said that according to experts, there is no radiation contamination in the Area and Kiev. According to the mayor of the capital, all the rumors that the Chernobyl wind radiates to Kiev are not true.

Fire in Chernobyl area sparks foreign institutions and global media

He evaluated the possible radiological consequences of the fires in the Chernobyl area. Institute of Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection (IRSN). For example, the weather conditions that prevailed until April 14 contributed to the transport of air-contaminated masses from Chernobyl to Belarus, southern Ukraine, eastern Romania, and Bulgaria. However, these air masses have not yet reached Europe. The IRSN also evaluated the dosimetric impact of these fires on radiation and, as noted in the IRSN note, The impact of fires on radioactivity must be negligible.

Fire in the exclusion zone. attracted the attention of various world media. Yes, CNN, The Guardian, Fox News, The New York Times, ABC News wrote about Chornobyl.

Wounded animals

The fire killed and wounded hundreds of animals. Straw and young grass fed by animals were replaced by ash and charred earth. The damage caused to the animal world has not yet been calculated. Due to the fire, many animals also lost their homes. During the fire, feeders and marshes where the ungulates ate were also burned. The Chernobyl Radiation Ecological Biosphere Reserve reported that small and medium animals were the most affected by fire – amphibians, reptiles, murine rodents, as they cannot quickly escape fire and smoke. However, how many animals were killed, which species suffered the most, it is difficult to say.

How it all started and what burned

The first reports of a fire in the Chernobyl area occurred on April 4, and the main causes of the fire are arson. Then the forests and grass in the territory of the three forest areas caught fire. Subsequently, SESA was informed daily about the elimination of the fire in which the aircraft was involved. Fires were constantly occurring at various locations in the Korogodsky, Dityatkovsky, Paryshevsky and Denysovets forests of the Exclusion Zone. April 13th The fire in the Chernobyl area has already covered the so-called “Red Forest” and approached the Pidlisnyy radiation waste storage facility near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

On April 14, when the fire broke away from the radiation storage facility just a few kilometers away, rescuers managed to extinguish the fire. So the rain helped a lot. Until April 16, there were no open flames in the Chernobyl area, only hemp bulbs and burning firewood. However, April 16 the strong wind blew again the lights to burn and a fire broke out in the Exclusion Zone. As TSN.ua reported in the Ukrainian State Agency for the management of the exclusion zone, from April 17 in the village. There is still work to be done to prevent the spread of pasture on the eve of decomposing burning grass and dilapidated buildings. Activists also say it burns in various places.

Hurt

The damage caused by the two-week large-scale fire in the Chernobyl area reaches tens of millions of hryvnias, but the exact area of ​​depletion is still unknown. Kateryna Pavlova, acting head of the Ukrainian State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone, stated this during a briefing.

Punishment of the guilty

After a fire in the Exclusion Zone on April 6, the police opened criminal proceedings. The investigation is ongoing. Offenders are threatened with a fine of 50-120 minimum tax-free income, or correctional work for up to two years, or restriction of liberty – up to three years. It shows that the police have already arrested some citizensthat may be involved in arson.