Shkiriak: Fire in Chornobyl zone fully contained, radiation levels normal

There are no remaining uncontained areas of fire in Ukraine’s Chornobyl exclusion zone, and the situation is 100% under control, Acting Chairman of the State Service for Emergency Situation Zorian Shkiriak wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

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"The situation has improved considerably. The front of the fire is surrounded and stopped. The situation is 100% under control. The foci of open upland fires have almost gone," he said.

"There are some fire spreading to young trees, but they are not significant and are connected with the wind. In addition, the grass and burnt trees are smoldering in large parts. Our fire-fighting planes have been working from the early morning and effectively extinguishing the remains of the fire," Shkiriak said.

"The radiation background is normal, there is no threat," he added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 28, at 1245, fire broke out in the forests near the Chornobyl power plant, within the exclusion zone and the zone of unconditional (obligatory) resettlement, threatening the villages of Buriakivka, Rudnia-Ilinetska, Hlynka, and Lubianka in Ivankiv region. The size of the fire quickly grew to an area of 320 hectares.

According to the State Service for Emergency Situations, the forest fire that broke out on Tuesday was under control as of 0600 on Wednesday.

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