April 14, 2020

Anna Murray 

The wildfire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone first broke out on April 4. The blaze was disguised that it has been put out after 2 days. However, the wildfire quickly spread out to an estimated 100 hectares (247 acres) area with heavy smoke.

The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management announced 400 firefighters and 100 units of equipment in addition to 3 Antonov AN-32 military transport aircraft and 3 helicopters had engaged in extinguishing the wildfires.

On April 13 the blaze reportedly was burning within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of the Chernobyl nuclear reactors and the radioactive waste storage facility. Fears had been escalated that the wildfire could torch Chernobyl power plants similar to the 1986 devastating disaster and sent radioactive fallout across Europe again.

But rain fell on the morning of April 14 and helped stop the forest fires. Ukrainian officials in the city of Pripyat had finally declared on April 14 that the wildfire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone was under control.

Photo:Webshot.