Two forest fires near the now defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine have boosted the radiation level in the area.

Ukrainian firefighters worked into Sunday night to put the fires under control. Emergency services said one of the fires that spread to an area of about five hectares was contained. The other fire was covering a much larger area, of about 20 hectares.

Fire officials said radiation levels in the area near Chernobyl were considerably higher than normal. The emergencies service, however, said radiation levels in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, about 100 kilometers south, were within normal range.