The first race was deserted, the second was limping. Now there is also the outcome of the third: no offers have arrived , again. The deadline for joining the tender expired on May 6th at 11am. But no company in the sector accepted the Region's conditions to rent its helicopters in view of the next firefighting campaign in Sardinia. Months of fire are therefore expected on the island. And the weapons to face them have emerged. There will be only 5 aircraft available starting from the next few weeks. There must have been 14.

Support from the sky, therefore, will be at a minimum. Unless a last-minute solution turns up. Among the hypotheses: the request for support from the Army or the purchase of one or two vehicles, which would become the property of the Region.

Yet the procedures had started on time.

From the documentation made available by the Forestry Corps , the reasons that led vehicle rental companies to snub Sardinia emerge. Those who managed the service until last year did not find the tender profitable, as thought by the Forestry: the contribution for each hour of flight had been increased, but not enough to cover the increase in the price of fuel. Furthermore, in the same period Lombardy and Sicily had also announced their tenders and those who could made a break for those regions. Not only that: the workers, it was explained, would be afraid of working in Sardinia because a complaint had been lodged here against an alleged cartel on firefighting costs.

Enrico Fresu