Central Ukraine Fires Destroy Entire Village (REPORT)

Speaking to hromadske, local residents of the village of Mahdyn in the Zhytomyr region, who were affected by the fires, said that they were forced to move to another village after the fires, but at the same time they have plans to return and rebuild their houses.

This comes after the head of the Zhytomyr regional state administration announced that on April 18 the fire destroyed dozens of houses in the region. In total, 38 residential and 43 uninhabited houses were destroyed and damaged by the fire.

There is no electricity in the village of Mahdyn in the Ovruch district. Last week, the locals were forced to move to the village of Hladkovychi, but then returned. All the houses in Mahdyn were burned down, so people now live in neighboring Lychmany.

"My children and my wife are now in Lychmany, I'm here with our cattle, cows and sheep. Our chickens were burned. We live off this. Water was brought in by volunteers. All my belonging s burned down – I only had time to put on my boots and jacket. Now I live here in this ‘swing space’,” local resident Ihor Mahdyna told us.

The village of Mahdyn in the Zhytomyr region hit by fires, April 21, 2020. Photo: Tetiana Bezruk / hromadske

Another local, Volodymyr, also said he currently lives in Lychmany but plans to return and rebuild the houses.

Locals, together with firefighters, extinguish smoldering peatlands, Lychmany, Zhytomyr region, April 21, 2020 Photo: Tetiana Bezruk / hromadske

In the neighboring Lychmany village that was not destroyed by the fires a church service was held on April 21, 2020. Photo: Tetiana Bezruk / hromadske

On top of that, firefighters and local residents continue to extinguish smoldering peatlands located in the village of Lychmany.

"The village of Lychmany was less affected by the fire, as the degree of damage also depended on the wind," said fireman Yuriy.

One fire truck and five firefighters working at the scene are engaged in water delivery. They also brought water to a local church. Two priests held a service for 10 believers there.

At present, there is one combustion center in the Zhytomyr region near the villages of Zholudivka and Zhurba that has not been localized. At other centers, extinguishment is ongoing within the localized areas.

/By Tetiana Bezruk

/Translated by Hromadske International