Wildfires Near Chernobyl Are Causing a Spike in Radiation Levels

On April 5, 2020, Egor Firsov, head of Ukraine’s ecological inspection service, wrote in a Facebook post, “There is bad news — in the center of the fire, radiation is above normal. As you can see in the video, the readings of the device are 2.3, when the norm is 0.14. But this is only within the area of the fire outbreak.”

The maximum amount of natural background radiation allowed, and considered safe, is 0.5 microsieverts per second, CNN reports. Firsov’s Geiger counter shows an amount five times that number.

It is believed that the fires were started by farmers so as to clear stubbles, which is a common practice in the area in spring and fall.

Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, seems currently safe from heightened radiation level, but wind changes could change the situation. The population of Ukraine is currently under lockdown orders, lessening the chances of inhaling radioactive particles.