Forest fire near Chernobyl boosts radiation level

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — A forest fire is burning in the evacuated area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and is causing elevated radiation levels, authorities said Sunday.

The blaze has spread to about 100 hectares (250 acres), said Yehor Firsov, head of Ukraine’s state ecological inspection service.

The emergency services ministry said 130 firefighters and two planes were laboring to put out the fire. It said radiation levels had increased at the fire’s center.

The blaze is within the 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) Chernobyl Exclusion Zone established after the 1986 disaster at the plant that sent a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of Europe. The zone is largely unpopulated, although about 200 people have remained there despite orders to leave.

Read more: https://apnews.com/b9403a6826043bea17f96c606a66c405

[Nitram]

1. Wildfires have always been the biggest danger in the Chernobyl contamion zone.

The same is true of Fukushima, Japan. The background radiation there is very low - within safe limits. But radiation lurks in the soil, and in all the plants that suck radiation up with the water they take in through their roots.

[Rural_Progressive]

2. The Gift that keeps on Giving

[SheltieLover]

3. K&R

[Yavin4]

4. There is no fire. This author is mistaken. Get to the infirmary.

[robbob]

7. Amazing mini series!

Blew me away.

[not_the_one]

5. Oh Noes!!! You can't throw a fire out a 4th floor window and call it an accident/suicide...

Russians dying from COVID-19, and now dying from radioactive smoke...

Pootie Poot needs to be really careful. His Iron Fist may be getting a little rust on it. It may be blood in the water for the Russian people. Straw/camel...

[Recursion]

6. You know, I was just thinking we needed some kind of crisis right now