Greek firefighters resumed operations against a massive wildfire west of Athens on Monday, a day after two firefighting helicopters collided midair, killing two crew members. The blaze, which has burned for four consecutive days, has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced fresh evacuations in the early hours of Monday morning.
Five water-dropping planes and five helicopters took off at first light to assist nearly 500 firefighters battling the blaze in the Psatha area, west of Athens. The collision on Sunday killed a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, while a British pilot and another Greek crew member survived the crash. Television footage showed one helicopter striking the underbelly of the other before exploding and plunging to the ground.
The wildfire broke out on Friday in a forested area in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens, and spread rapidly due to gale-force winds reaching 100 kilometers per hour. The fire forced the evacuation of communities including Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli, with particular concern for the seaside community of Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth. An arson investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the blaze.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the deaths of the two crew members in a social media post, describing the firefighters as heroes who gave their lives in service of their country. The fire service said strong winds were finally dying down late Sunday, raising hopes that crews could manage to halt the fire’s advance after days of frustration.
The Athens wildfire is the latest in a series of devastating fires across southern Europe this summer, with France, Spain, and Portugal also battling major blazes. The crisis has been exacerbated by record-breaking heatwaves and drought conditions that scientists attribute to climate change. The helicopter collision has highlighted the extreme dangers faced by emergency responders in what has become one of Europe’s worst fire seasons in decades.
Greece has been on maximum alert for wildfires, with the fire risk classified as Category 4 on a five-level scale in the Attica region and the island of Evia. More than 70 fires broke out across the country on Friday alone, straining emergency services to their limits. The country’s fire brigade warned that conditions remain dangerous, with high temperatures and bone-dry vegetation continuing to fuel new outbreaks across the mainland and islands.
The fire comes as Europe grapples with a broader wildfire emergency that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the continent. France saw its largest peacetime evacuation as nearly 200,000 people were forced from their homes in southwestern regions, while Spain has been battling deadly wildfires in its southern provinces that have claimed multiple lives since early July.
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