Forest Fires in the Ukraine Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Forest Fires in the Ukraine Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
17 July 2016
published by http://www.pravda.com.ua
Ukraine Fire location map derived from the NASA MODIS instrument on satellites Terra and Aqua during 15-16 July 2016. The news from http://www.lesovod.org.ua/node/29754 are summarized as follows: First reports of outbreaks of forest fires near the village Burakovka were received on 16 July 2016. Today the number of publications is much greater. Most notable will be listed further, but first, let us look at the situation �from outer space� without reading media. From the images it can be seen that forest vegetation is burning in immediate proximity to Pripyat on the terrain of the leftovers of the so-called Red Forest (the forest most seriously contaminated during the first days of the failure of the reactor in 1986, which was later buried) and nearby the village Burykovka. This is one of the most contaminated areas in the ChEZ. The highway on the right part of the image leads to Pripyat. The straight line on top of the image is an abandoned railroad that leads to Slavutych city via Pripyat. Vertical lines near the turn of the road to Pripyat is where the Red Forest is buried. The area affected by fires is approximately 100 hectares (ha). There are plenty of access communications from the three sides, but inside � the territory is basically impassable by fallen trees, pine underwood, and the leftovers of old forest. The area is highly contaminated.
The dynamics of the fires may be traced via time of registration of the high-temperature events (THE) by MODIS sensor:
* Green – 16.07-16, 01:55
* Green with red outlines- 16.07.16, 13:25
* Orange-red – 16.07.161, 15:05
* Crimson-red – 17.07.16, 01:40
* Yellow-red – 17.07.16, 03:20
On 17 July 2016 the spread of the fires is to the west and north-east of ChEZ. It should be noted, that last night there was another fire outbreak along the western track, on the territory of Republic of Belarus.
