Kyiv fuel depot fire: officials change tack in effort to quickly extinguish blaze

Kyiv fuel depot fire: officials change tack in effort to quickly extinguish blaze
By Euronews with MARIA KORENYUK
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'Everything is under control,' say emergency service officials, as a fire at a Kyiv fuel depot rages on for a third day.

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A huge fire at a fuel depot on the outskirts of Kyiv is raging on for a third day.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reports it has managed to cool down and put out the blazes in three out of five tanks.

But progress has been slow, our correspondent, Maria Korenyuk, reports:
“This Kyiv suburb has been on fire for three days. Emergency crews promised to soak the depot – which lies just 30 kilometres away from the capital – by Wednesday morning (June 10). However, at daybreak another fuel tank set alight.”

The cause of the fire is not clear.

Emergency service officials have changed tack in an effort to tackle the blaze. Some 45 modified tanks are now shooting foam at the fires.

With a black cloud hovering over the Ukrainian capital, officials are reportedly carrying out regular air pollution tests.

The State Emergency Service has released a report on social media saying there are “no noxious emissions in the atmosphere.”

Ecologist Volodymyr Tsiba gave the following advice:
“We’ve received some complaints from the locals. They say they’re having allergic reactions and trouble breathing. These symptoms can appear, as there are some emissions. So, we’ve asked people to limit their movement, or use masks.”

Three firefighters have been killed since the blaze started, while one fire engine driver is missing, presumed dead.

Mykola Chechotkin, the Head of the State Emergency Service, has warned people not to panic, saying there is no danger of the fire spreading to a nearby military base. They say everything is under control.

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