Two firefighting helicopters collide near Athens, killing both pilots
Photo: Pilots worked to put out the fire (Getty Images)
Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair while fighting a fire west of Athens—one of them crashed, killing two crew members, according to the Associated Press.
What happened to crew
The collision occurred on Sunday over the Psatha area, west of Athens. Two of the four crew members aboard the two Bell helicopters—a Greek and a Dane—were killed. Two others, a Greek and a Briton, were rescued alive.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his sorrow over the tragic accident and offered his condolences to the families of the fallen firefighters.
"The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot at the time they were attempting the major fire in Porto Gremeno fills us all with grief," Mitsotakis said.
Situation near Athens
Strong winds are driving the fire deeper and deeper into the region surrounding the Greek capital, forcing new evacuations. Authorities had to order the evacuation of the villages of Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli as smoke billowed over the mountains. The coastal village of Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth is a particular cause for concern.
The fire began on Friday near Agios Vasileios before spreading to Porto Germeno and the forested mountains west of Athens. Rescue workers evacuated 254 people by sea on Friday and another 12 on Saturday, often the only way to safety when fire and smoke block the few roads leading to coastal communities.
According to Theodore Giannaros, a meteorologist specializing in wildfires, the fire has engulfed 40–50 square kilometers, although authorities have not yet released official figures.
Strong winds prevented some aircraft from scooping up water from the sea, paralyzing part of the operation—nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed.
The effort to deal with the aftermath of the fires in Europe has been ongoing for several weeks now. Researchers even believe that preventing future wildfires may depend on goats; the animals’ grazing on shrubs helps slow the spread of fire in some regions of Spain.
The heatwave, which has already claimed thousands of lives in Europe, has triggered massive wildfires in France and Spain—the uncontrolled fires have forced more than 250,000 people to flee, while authorities in both countries have been trying to contain the flames.
Scientists had previously warned that 2026 could be one of the hottest years on record due to the intensification of global warming.
