The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is on fire and radiation levels are spiking

[Kontinuum]

Part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone where the infamous power plant explosion occurred in 1986 is on fire, and radiation in the area is spiking.

The fire covers about 50 acres (20 hectares) near the abandoned village of Vladimirovka in Ukraine's Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, according to CNN. In a Facebook post, Yegor Firsov, head of Ukraine's ecological inspection service, showed a Geiger counter near the fire reading 2.3 microsievert per hour, a measurement of ambient radiation. The normal reading in the area is 0.14 μSv/h, which is significantly higher than typical radiation levels in other places.

The environmental conditions around Chernobyl are not fully understood, but a 1996 paper in the journal Science of the Total Environment showed that key radiation-carrying elements — cesium, iodine and chlorine — can get picked up by plants and animals in the region and end up in ash when they burn.

"But this is only within the area of the fire outbreak," Firsov wrote.

In the city of Chernobyl itself, and in more distant Kiev, radiation levels remain normal, according to CNN.

Fires in the exclusion zone aren't uncommon, according to Firsov's post. The 1,000-square-mile (2,500 square kilometers) area around the power plant has been largely abandoned since the 1986 meltdown of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. And in that time, trees and other plants have colonized the area.

Firsov blamed humans for the periodic fires in the zone.

"The problem of setting fires to grass by careless citizens in spring and autumn has long been a very acute problem for us," he wrote. "Every year we see the same picture — fields, reeds, forests burn in all regions."

He called for a crackdown on starting fires in the exclusion zone.

Ukraine has met this fire with water drops from aircraft above and a 124-person firefighting force, according to CNN. Another 14 firefighters are also in the area, fighting a smaller fire. These fires are far from the site of the reactor, which is buried under a thick "sarcophagus" of steel and concrete.

https://www.livescience.com/chernoby...radiation.html

Not great, not terrible.

[tehealadin]

I've seen worse.

[Acidbaron]

People setting fires to radioactive grass, i mean why are they planning to sell the ground there for houses or trying to farm on them?

[breadisfunny]

People setting fires to radioactive grass, i mean why are they planning to sell the ground there for houses or trying to farm on them?

probably arsonists.

[Rustedsaint]

People setting fires to radioactive grass, i mean why are they planning to sell the ground there for houses or trying to farm on them?

Some people just wanna see the world burn

[the game]

How can we blame this on Trump?

[Volatilis]

How can we blame this on Trump?

Holy shit can you trumpster lackeys stick to your own threads, there are literally hundreds of them now. God damn it.

We'll be ok comrades.

[unbound]

From the linked article:

"...Yegor Firsov, head of Ukraine's ecological inspection service, showed a Geiger counter near the fire reading 2.3 microsievert per hour..."

Which puts it in the category of less than a typical mammogram. You don't want to take on additional radiation if you can avoid it, but this isn't a big concern.

For comparison, the average US citizen gets 3,600 microsieverts in a year. Standing in that mess would get you to 20,148 microsieverts in a year. Maximum allowable dose for radiation workers is 50,000 microsieverts in a year.

[Svifnymr]

From the linked article:

"...Yegor Firsov, head of Ukraine's ecological inspection service, showed a Geiger counter near the fire reading 2.3 microsievert per hour..."

Which puts it in the category of less than a typical mammogram. You don't want to take on additional radiation if you can avoid it, but this isn't a big concern.

For comparison, the average US citizen gets 3,600 microsieverts in a year. Standing in that mess would get you to 20,148 microsieverts in a year. Maximum allowable dose for radiation workers is 50,000 microsieverts in a year.

It does fit my idea that we're in Apocalypse Light. "Plague engulfs world, killing 2%", "earthquakes spike all over, level 5 though." "Radioactive forest burns, irradiating the area again, but like, not really horribly I guess." I don't know if they ever fixed the locusts, but if the dead start rising, it'll probably only be in one graveyard in some city in the middle of nowhere.

[Soulwind]

It does fit my idea that we're in Apocalypse Light. "Plague engulfs world, killing 2%", "earthquakes spike all over, level 5 though." "Radioactive forest burns, irradiating the area again, but like, not really horribly I guess." I don't know if they ever fixed the locusts, but if the dead start rising, it'll probably only be in one graveyard in some city in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe they're just testing the different systems before the show.

[Stelio Kontos]

2020™

/10char

[Deletedaccount1]

get out of there stalker

[StayTuned]

Fools. 2.3 is their geiger counter limit. It surely must be broken.

[breadisfunny]

https://www.accuweather.com/en/sever...r-plant/720796

so apparently they arrested the 27 year old who started the whole fire. i hope he gets the ultimate penalty for this.

[GreenJesus]

https://www.accuweather.com/en/sever...r-plant/720796

so apparently they arrested the 27 year old who started the whole fire. i hope he gets the ultimate penalty for this.

Better make sure he wasnt a journalist that critiqued Putin. "Oh yeh the guy started the fire. Hang em"

[Adam Jensen]

Fools. 2.3 is their geiger counter limit. It surely must be broken.

Explain to me how an RBMK reactor explodes

[Queen of Hamsters]

Explain to me how an RBMK reactor explodes

It doesn't. Fake news.

[tehealadin]

You didn't see a fire because there was no fire.

[breadisfunny]

You didn't see a fire because there was no fire.

oh really what were you saying? looks like a fire to me.

[Volatilis]

oh really what were you saying? looks like a fire to me.

Lol.

He was referencing the TV show. Lighten up and repair your sarcasm/fun detector