Chernobyl forest fire closing in on plant

[equationgirl]

What happens if the fire reaches the reactor? I’ve seen lots of ‘eek, nuclear forest on fire’ stuff but nothing that says what that means.

More radiation being released through the fire burning radioactive forestry, although the local authorities are basically saying 'move along, no increased radiation levels here'.

If it reaches any of the actual nuclear plant, either the sarcophagus or the remaining decommissioned plants that weren't damaged in 1986, I don't think anybody knows for sure, but my guess would be the main worry would be additional release of radiation. One assumes that the decommissioned plants have had the nuclear fuel rods removed, apart from the damaged reactor, but there is still considerable debris within the sarcophagus.

 

[2hats]

Unfortunately it looks like this time it might have made it to the red forest (Рыжий лес).

Fire 2 in this Terra MODIS imagery:

The local authorities are reported to be stating that the fire is now out, firefighters aided by rainfall.


Haven't yet seen any ambient dose levels in the area that would be excessively unusual.

 

[2hats]

MODIS and VIIRS imagery suggests the fire has been reduced over the last week (last 7, 3, 2, 1 days cumulative data here) and is now possibly out (need to wait for the end of the daily cycle to be sure). Illustrates it did get to the front door.

 

[CNT36]

IAEA Sees No Radiation-Related Risk from Fires in Chornobyl Exclusion Zone | IAEA

www.iaea.org

The recent fires in the Exclusion Zone near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine have not led to any hazardous increase of radioactive particles in the air, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Basing its assessment on data provided by Ukraine, the IAEA said the increase in levels of radiation measured in the country was very small and posed no risk to human health.

“In addition, these radiation levels fall significantly with increasing distance from the site of the fires,” said Elena Buglova, Head of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC), which has been in close contact with Ukrainian authorities since the fires began in early April.

Thank fuck for that.

 

[2hats]

The surrounding forest has been burning. Likely this has led to low levels of airborne Caesium-137 which have been reported by Norwegian environmental monitoring in recent days.

 

[brogdale]

The surrounding forest has been burning. Likely this has led to low levels of airborne Caesium-137 which have been reported by Norwegian environmental monitoring in recent days.

And with a Scandi HP we've got Easterlies setting in?

 

[2hats]

Yes, there is probably some drifting this way, but the measured levels are incredibly low: =<5 µBq per cubic metre in Norway.

You'd have to stand around breathing that air for over 60 years to achieve the classic banana equivalent dose.