Massive wildfire erupts in Chornobyl exclusion zone, spreading fast
Photo: A massive forest fire is raging in the exclusion zone (t.me/dsns_telegram)
A forest fire is raging in the Exclusion Zone in the Kyiv region. Due to strong winds, the fire is spreading rapidly across the area and engulfing new sections of the forest, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
According to rescue workers, the estimated area affected by the fire has already exceeded 1,100 hectares.
The situation is complicated by dry weather, strong gusts of wind, and the risk of landmines in certain areas. Due to the threat of explosive devices in some forest sections, firefighting operations have been temporarily suspended.
Units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, specialized equipment, and personnel from other services have been deployed to extinguish the fire. Rescue workers are operating in enhanced mode, attempting to contain the fire hotspots and prevent them from spreading further.
Massive wildfire erupts in Chornobyl exclusion zone, spreading fast pic.twitter.com/HN3Aibnkil
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 8, 2026
The State Emergency Service has also revealed videos and photos from the site of the massive fire.
Photo: Firefighting operations are underway in the exclusion zone in the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering over 1,100 hectares (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Photo: Firefighting operations are underway in the exclusion zone in the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering over 1,100 hectares (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Photo: Firefighting operations are underway in the exclusion zone in the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering over 1,100 hectares (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Photo: Firefighting operations are underway in the exclusion zone in the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering over 1,100 hectares (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Photo: Firefighting operations are underway in the exclusion zone in the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering over 1,100 hectares (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone
The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is an area that suffered significant radioactive contamination following the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986.
Following the disaster, the population was evacuated from the area, and a 30-kilometer restricted access zone was established around the plant.
The total area of the zone is nearly 2,600 square kilometers. It covers the northern part of the Kyiv region, where the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the cities of Chornobyl and Pripyat are located, as well as part of the Zhytomyr region near the border with Belarus.
Other fires in Ukraine
This week, several large-scale forest fires were reported in various regions of Ukraine.
On May 7, in the Kyiv region, rescue workers extinguished a large-scale forest fire in the Bucha district. The fire spread rapidly near the village of Tarasivshchyna due to unusually hot spring weather and strong winds.
On the same day in the Chernihiv region, a massive fire engulfed about 2,400 hectares of forest in the border zone near Russia.
The situation was complicated by constant Russian shelling and Russian drone activity, preventing foresters from reaching some of the fire hotspots.
Meanwhile, in the Carpathian forests, a large fire in the Mukachevo district of Zakarpattia region was fought for three days.
The fire broke out on May 5, and the flames were not contained until May 7. The total area affected by the fire was approximately 75 hectares.
A total of 217 people and 30 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish the fire in Zakarpattia. The State Emergency Service also deployed aircraft for firefighting, and residents assisted the rescue teams.
