Ukrainian Firefighters Localized Forest Fires Near the Border with Belarus
In Ukraine, rescuers managed to localize large-scale forest fires in areas bordering Belarus. The most difficult situation was in mined areas, where extinguishing the fire was especially dangerous.
Screenshot from video
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that fire engulfed territories in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions, as well as in Zakarpattia. At one point, the total area of the fires exceeded three thousand hectares.
Currently, the fires in Zakarpattia and Rivne regions have already been extinguished, while in Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions, the fire has been localized.
According to rescuers, the work was complicated not only by the mining of territories but also by very high temperatures. Due to the heat, two fire trucks caught fire, but five more vehicles were saved.
Fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone began on May 8 after explosions of Russian drones. Strong winds rapidly spread the fire. The fire centers were located not far from the Belarusian border.
Experts remind that during burning in the Chornobyl exclusion zone, radioactive substances that remained after the 1986 accident can enter the air. Wind can carry contaminated air to the territory of neighboring countries, including Belarus.