2020 Chernobyl Exclusion Zone wildfires
| 2020 Chernobyl Exclusion Zone wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to the zone of alienation around Chernobyl | |
| Location |  Ukraine |
| Statistics | |
| Total area | 116,139 acres (470 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | None |
| Structures destroyed | 30% of tourist attractions |
The 2020 Chernobyl Exclusion Zone wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning inside Ukraine's Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in April 2020. The fires were largely extinguished within two weeks, at least one suspect was arrested for alleged arson.
Timeline
On April 6, it was reported that radiation levels inside the zone were "16 times above normal" as a result of the fires.[1] As the fire spread a small village near the mostly abandoned town of Poliske was evacuated five days later.[2] By April 13, the wildfires had spread to just over a mile away from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and had reached the outskirts of the abandoned city of Pripyat. More than 300 firefighters worked to stop the fires from reaching the plant. [3][4] The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said it was still fighting the fires, but that the situation was under control, while Greenpeace Russia said the situation was "much worse than Ukrainian authorities believe", citing satellite images.[5] On April 14, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said all large fires inside the Exclusion Zone had been extinguished after ten days of firefighting efforts and recent rainfall in the region.[6]
Suspect
A 27-year-old local resident was arrested for arson. It is unclear if the man, who has confessed to starting fires "for fun", is partly or fully responsible for the wildfires.[7]
Damage
It was reported by Forbes that 30% of the tourist attractions in the exclusion zone had been destroyed, including the Soviet-era pioneer camp Izumrudnoe.[8] The damage included several abandoned villages such as "Stara Markivka" surrounding Chernobyl that burnt down completely.[9] Fire damage was also reported in the surrounding Red Forest where numerous trees were "swiftly" killed.[10] The power plant itself, and the cities of Chernobyl, and Pripyat survived "unscathed".[8][11]
References
- ^ Roth, Andrew (April 5, 2020). "'Bad news': radiation 16 times above normal after forest fire near Chernobyl" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Village evacuated as forest fires in Chernobyl exclusion zone continue to burn | Euronews".
- ^ "Ukraine: wildfires draw dangerously close to Chernobyl site".
- ^ Wildfires 'edge closer to Chernobyl nuclear plant'
- ^ "Raging wildfires close in on Ukraine's defunct Chernobyl power plant". France 24. April 13, 2020.
- ^ Chernobyl: Ukraine crews extinguish forest fires in exclusion zone
- ^ "Fire raging near Ukraine's Chernobyl poses radiation risk, say activists". April 13, 2020 – via uk.reuters.com.
- ^ a b Katya Gorchinskaya. "Fire Destroys A Third Of Tourist Attractions In Chernobyl". Forbes. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ Candace Sutton. "Chernobyl: Huge wildfire bears down on nuclear plant risking radiation leak". News.com. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ Patrick Reevell. "Ukraine says wildfires close to Chernobyl are extinguished after rain falls". ABC News. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ "Wildfire destroys 30% of tourist sites in Chornobyl zone". Unian. Retrieved April 15, 2020.