Fires restart in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Although rainfall enabled first responders to contain forest fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone earlier this week, strong winds have now created new hotspots of open flame in the area. Yaroslav Yemelianenko, a tour operator and member of the advisory council for the Ukrainian body that monitors the zone, announced the new fires on April 16.

“The fires in the Chernobyl Zone have restarted. As of April 16, a dust storm has revived smoldering embers back into open flame in many areas. I hope very much that this time, the government response will be immediate, without delay,” Yemelianenko wrote on Facebook.

A forest fire was first spotted in the Chernobyl area on April 4. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with grass burns that allegedly grew into out-of-control flames.