Helicopter crash kills two firefighters as Greece battles raging wildfires

Two helicopters collided while combating a wildfire in the Psatha area of Athens on Sunday, killing a Greek and a Danish crew member. The accident highlighted the hazardous conditions confronting fire crews as strong winds pushed flames deeper into the capital region.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed sorrow for the tragedy and offered 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," he said in a statement.

Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas noted that gale-force winds, sometimes reaching 100 km/h, created “extremely difficult conditions” that hampered aerial water drops and forced evacuations in villages such as Porto Germeno. Fires continued to spread across Attica, Boeotia, Fokida and the island of Cephalonia, while the greater Athens area and nearby Evia remained at near-maximum fire risk.

Greece has reported over 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land burned since the start of the week, with some experts suggesting the Porto Germeno blaze could be classified as a megafire. The country has also lost three firefighters in other incidents this week.

In France, authorities said the largest blaze near Bordeaux, which had scorched 42,000 hectares and destroyed 240 homes, is now contained, and most of the 220,000 evacuated residents have returned. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described the situation as “more stable,” though a fast-moving fire in the Var region remains precarious.

Spain reported that major fires in the Zamora and León regions have been brought under control after renewed flare-ups, with evacuations lifted for most affected residents. Overall, EU wildfires have burned approximately 485,000 hectares this year.