Ukraine: Wildfire engulfs Chernobyl buffer zone for second time in months

Wildfires engulfed large areas of the exclusion zone surrounding the defunct Chernobyl plant in Ukraine, early Tuesday morning, the second time the nuclear disaster site has experienced such fires within three months. The flames reportedly spread over around 130 hectares after the fire started on Monday evening, but were brought under control by emergency services by Tuesday afternoon. Radiation levels in the area have not changed since the fire broke out, according to Victoria Ruban, a Kiev representative of the Ukrainian State Service. Chernobyl and the surrounding area have been abandoned since the 1986 nuclear disaster, in which an explosion at the plant caused the release of massive amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The disaster caused an increase in radiation levels throughout much of Europe. Reactor four, where the blast took place, has been sealed off in a substantial concrete sarcophagus to prevent further leaks. Some ecologists have expressed fears that the fire could further radioactive pollution.