An aerial view through a window of a helicopter shows fire and smoke from buildings of an abandoned village are on fire. [Photo/Agencies]

"The situation is being controlled, but this is the biggest fire since 1992. We've not had this scale of fire," Ukraine's Interfax news agency reported Yatseniuk as telling journalists.

"It is around 20 kilometres (from the fire) to the plant. Our emergency services are actively working there to prevent the fire spreading further," he said.

In February, international experts warned that a large amount of dangerous isotopes remained in the forests near Chernobyl, which could be spread by forest fires.