Russian Wildfires Raise Chernobyl Radiation Fears

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Russian wildfires are burning on land contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, raising fears that burned radioactive particles could be released into the air, according to AFP.

Radioactive residue from the explosion at Chernobyl, a massive nuclear power plant in Ukraine, continues to line the earth in Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia, activists told the New Zealand Times.

If radiation levels rise, there may be long-term health dangers. "This is radiation that will be dangerous for the local population living near the fires and firefighters managing the fires," said Vladimir Chuprov, head of Greenpeace Russia's energy unit.

"What is not clear is what could be the danger of the combined radiation effect and toxic effect of the smog. No one knows how these effects multiply each other," Chuprov said.

Officials admitted the fires had reached areas affected by fallout from the nuclear explosion but Russia's chief sanitary official, Gennady Onishchenko, criticized environmentalists for raising alarm over the nuclear issue. "There is no need to sow panic," he said. "Everything is fine."

Meanwhile, Vladimir Rozinkevich of the Bryansk forest protection service said,"There is a danger, but we are controlling the situation."

A new wildfire sparked by lightning flared up near a major nuclear research center in the Russian town of Sarov, 500 kilometers east of Moscow. According to AFP, the plant's manager asked for heavy equipment and reinforcements to fight that fire.

In Moscow, a shift in the winds and some rain provided a break from the toxic smog that has been blanketing the city. According to Reuters, forecasters say the relief may be temporary since higher temperatures and a wind shift is expected by Thursday.

Authorities claim the total area burning in the country has dropped by half over the last 24 hours because of the favorable weather conditions. But more than 165,000 people are  still fighting more than 600 fires burning across Russia, according to Reuters.

Officials say 52 people have died from the fires but many believe the final death toll will be much higher. In Moscow, health chief Andrei Seltsovsky said the city's mortality rate has jumped from around 350 to 700.

According to the Voice of America, the United States issued a travel warning for Russia because of the fires and pollution. Authorities have begun evacuating non-emergency workers and their families from the U.S. embassy.


Author:Barbara Brooks - Fire Department Network News