A large part of Kythera remains at the mercy of the fire, with residents complaining absence of airborne means at noon on Saturday. Specifically, from 13:45 to 14:45, no aircraft attempted to fly on the island as the fire was rekindling and spreading towards the Perlegian Islands.
As the Kythera.News with civilian testimonies, three active foci were visible from Katsulianika, with the flames heading uncontrollably into difficult and dangerous areas.
A testimony of a holidaymaker in the area describes the situation in dramatic tones:
«The aerial means have not been operating for a long time, probably because of the fire in Messinia. There are many active fronts, most of them in inaccessible areas, where ground forces cannot reach, with weather conditions favoring their rapid expansion (we knew this yesterday, as it was announced that for today, Saturday, there is an extreme fire risk, category 5).»
«The island (a significant part of it) is in danger - and this is not a figure of speech. The mobilisation of locals is moving. The rest of us, helpless, watch the devastating fire mow and burn everything in its path. If the air resources are not quickly restored, I fear we will have a very difficult day and an even more difficult night...»
The absence of air assets for about an hour has caused deep concern, as the ground forces operating with self-sacrifice are numerically and operationally inadequate for the size and dynamics of the fire, especially in areas where access is impossible without planes and helicopters.
The local community remains in alert, while the winds continue to increase the speed of the fire, turning the situation into a race to keep control.
