From ENE News
Posts for May 1 and April 30
May 1, 2017
Fukushima a “ticking time bomb” — Fires now “raging” near nuclear plant — Blaze doubles in size; “Smoke rising from wide areas” — Concern over fallout of highly radioactive material; Officials closely watching radiation levels (VIDEO)
NHK World, May 1, 2017 (emphasis added): Wildfire continues in Fukushima — A wildfire has been raging for more than 2 days near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant… The area is part of a zone designated as “no-entry” due to high radiation levels… Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures and the Self-Defense Forces are using helicopters to fight the blaze. They 
are also looking at the possibility of using ground crews. Footage from an NHK helicopter on Monday morning showed smoke rising from wide areas and fires burning in several locations…
Mainichi, May 1, 2017: Wildfire rages in highly radioactive Fukushima mountain forest — A fire broke out in a mountain forest near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant on the evening of April 29, consuming an area approximately 20 hectares in size, according to prefectural authorities… As the fire continued to spread, however, helicopters from the GSDF, Fukushima Prefecture and other parties on May 1 resumed fire extinguishing operations from around 5 a.m. … As of May 1, there were no major changes to radiation levels in the heart of Namie and other areas near the fire scene, according to the Ministry of the Environment. “We will continue to closely watch changes in radiation doses in the surrounding areas,” said a ministry official.
Common Dreams, May 1, 2017: Sparking Fears of Airborne Radiation, Wildfire Burns in Fukushima ‘No-Go Zone’; Contaminated forests such as those outside fallout sites like Fukushima and Chernobyl ‘are ticking time bombs’ — A wildfire broke out in the highly radioactive “no-go zone” near the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant over the weekend, reviving concerns over potential airborne radiation… Local officials were forced to call in the Japanese military… In a blog post last year, Anton Beneslavsky, a member of Greenpeace Russia’s firefighting group who has been deployed to fight blazes in nuclear Chernobyl, outlined the specific dangers of wildfires in contaminated areas. “During a fire, radionuclides like caesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium rise into the air and travel with the wind,” Beneslavsky wrote. “This is a health concern because when these unstable atoms are inhaled, people become internally exposed to radiation.” Contaminated forests such as those outside fallout sites like Fukushima and Chernobyl “are ticking time bombs,” scientist and former regional government official Ludmila Komogortseva told Beneslavsky. “Woods and peat accumulate radiation,” she explained “and every moment, every grass burning, every dropped cigarette or camp fire can spark a new disaster.”
Sputnik News, May 1, 2017: Japanese Authorities Fighting Wildfire in Evacuation Zone Near Fukushima NPP… There were no reports either about the wind direction or the changes in the background radiation level in relation to the fire.
April 30, 2017
Fires burning near Fukushima plant — Officials ask Japan gov’t to send in troops to help fight blaze — Strong winds hindering firefighters (VIDEO)
RT, Apr 30, 2017: Fukushima authorities ask troops to help deal with forest fires near crippled nuclear power plant — Fukushima prefecture has asked the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for help in handling forest fires that have swept areas near the crippled Fukushima power plant, local media report. Strong winds are hindering the firefighting efforts, however. The forest fires broke out near the town of Namie, some seven kilometers from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, on Saturday evening, Japanese NHK broadcaster reported… The prefecture has deployed several helicopters to extinguish the fires, which are believed to have been caused by lightning. According to police, at least 10 hectares of forest have burned in the area… With strong winds stoking the flames, the Fukushima Prefecture has requested help from the Self-Defense Forces, Japan’s de-facto army, on Sunday.
NHK (translated by Google), Apr 30, 2017: Fukushima Namie-cho continued fire fighting activities in forests in difficult-to-return areas — When smoke is rising from Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture, which is a difficult-to-return area of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in the evening of 29th, there was a report to the fire department, the whole day burned all day It continues… Fukushima Prefecture requested the Self Defense Forces for disaster relief… Around 4:30 PM on Friday, Fukushima Prefecture Namie-cho Iyedo had a message saying “smoke is coming up” and a helicopter such as Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture came out early on Monday morning for fire fighting… Prefecture requested the SDF to dispatch disasters at noon on 30th, fire was extinguished with both helicopters, both of which were almost extinguished at 7:30 am on Friday, due to the strong wind again and burning again… the police are investigating the detailed situation looking at as a result of lightning strikes.
Iwate Daily (translated by Google), Apr 30, 2017: Forest fire in the difficult-to- return area, Fukushima prefecture dispatched to GSDF… Fukushima Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Gunma Prefecture began fire fighting from the sky from morning on the 30th, once suppressed around 7:40 am, but it started burning again with a strong wind.
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