Greece Deploys Aircraft to Fight Major Wildfire After Helicopter Collision Kills Two

Authorities in Greece launched an intensive aerial assault Monday morning against a raging wildfire consuming forests and scrubland west of Athens, deploying five water-dropping aircraft and five helicopters as nearly 500 firefighters worked to contain the advancing flames. The renewed offensive came one day after a tragic midair collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha claimed the lives of two crew members—a Greek national and a Danish national—highlighting the extreme hazards faced by emergency personnel battling Europe’s current wildfire crisis.

Improving weather conditions offered a crucial advantage to firefighting efforts Monday, as winds that had previously gusted at gale force and prevented aerial operations began to diminish. Authorities cautioned, however, that the broader Attica region surrounding Athens remained vulnerable to new fire outbreaks due to forecasted temperature increases anticipated in coming days.

The fire, which ignited Friday morning, has prompted the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents from surrounding areas, with rescue crews extracting an additional 250 people by boat from nearby beaches. Early Monday, officials ordered three more communities to evacuate while ground crews constructed firebreaks in forested zones to slow the blaze’s progression.

Investigators determined the fire originated from electrical sparks produced by a defective power line connected to a private wind generation facility. Authorities arrested an electrical engineer overseeing the project’s design and a contractor responsible for constructing the transmission network; both face felony arson charges. An arrest warrant has been issued for the wind company’s owner.

The second helicopter involved in the collision carried a Greek and a British national, both hospitalized with injuries deemed minor. Greece routinely deploys international firefighting crews during the nation’s sweltering summer months when conditions favor rapid wildfire spread.

Across the border in France, authorities contained Europe’s most severe active wildfire within its perimeter Sunday night after forcing 224,000 people to evacuate in what may represent France’s largest civilian displacement outside of wartime. The Gironde megafire, along with a second major blaze in Provence, has collectively consumed a 420-square-kilometer area while nearly 3,000 firefighters battle hotspots that continue burning within the fire’s massive footprint.

Combined blazes across France and Spain have displaced approximately 300,000 people from homes and vacation properties, emptying communities during peak European summer travel season and overwhelming emergency resources responding to simultaneous crises across multiple nations.