Minister: Tourist infrastructure intact in Kythira - wildfire mostly contained

The large wildfire in Kythera island in Greece that has been raging since Friday has been contained and there are no active fronts, the General Secretary of Civil Protection Yiannis Kapakis told the Athens Macedonian News Agency on Monday.

“The situation is better in Kythera. There is no active front at the moment,” he noted, adding that all forces remain οn alert to prevent any rekindling of the flames.

“At this point there are some fires only inside the burned areas and mainly on the southwestern front of the island, which are being tackled effectively by the land forces,” fire brigade spokeswoman Stavroulla Maliri said to ANA.

The fire brigade has mobilized firefighting units from all over Greece to put out the blaze which has spread over six kilometers, bringing one-hundred and sixteen firemen with 38 vehicles, 83 men on foot, one helicopter and two aircraft.

Authorities evacuated nuns and pilgrims from the Monastery of Mirtidion in the western part of Kythera, and two villages on Saturday.

In the meanwhile, the tourist infrastructure on the island is intact despite the large wildfire, Agriculture and Food Minister Vangelis Apostolou told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency’s radio station Praktoreio 104.9 FM on Monday, referring to the blaze that has raged on the island since Friday.

“This is why, from what we know, our guest, the tourists on the island, have not been affected at all, and that is positive because tourist activity continues without any effects,” he continued.

Commenting on the current status of the blaze, Apostolou added he believed the flames will be brought fully under control today. “We believe that very soon, possibly until noon, the condition will be under control,” he said and described it as “a huge disaster, mainly environmental”, as over 1,500 to 1,700 hectares of forest have been destroyed.