Greek Helicopters Crash Amid Firefighting Operations

On Sunday, two Greek firefighting helicopters collided midair while combating a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens. One helicopter crashed to the ground. The helicopters, Bell models, operated over Psatha, west of Athens, with each carrying a two-person crew.

Two crew members, one Greek and one Danish, died in the crash. Two others, a Greek and a British national, survived. There is no immediate information on whether the deceased were on the same helicopter.

The collision highlights the risks faced amidst Europe’s wildfire crisis. Strong winds intensified flames near Athens, prompting new evacuations.

The fire began Friday near Agios Vasileios, moving towards Porto Germeno and into mountainous forests west of Athens. By sea, firefighters evacuated 254 people Friday and another 12 Saturday when fire and smoke blocked coastal roads.

Almost 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft battled the blaze, but gale-force winds spread flames through dry forests, hampering efforts to collect sea water for firefighting.

The advancing flames recall the devastating 2018 Mati wildfire in the region, which claimed 104 lives. Authorities ordered evacuations from Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli, as smoke rose over the mountains.

Crews focused on the seaside community of Porto Germeno. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received updates on the situation.

Elsewhere, flames neared homes on Kefalonia, prompting evacuations as aircraft dropped water over the Ionian island. Another fire was battled near Nea Tenedos in Halkidiki.

Earlier, two firefighters lost their lives in Crete, while another died in the Peloponnese.

Minas Tzortzanis, a local farmer, described the disaster as the forest being surrendered to fire. He lamented the total destruction.

The situation in Greece is mirrored by fires in France and Spain, displacing about 250,000 people from homes and vacation spots, taxing emergency services.

Europe entered 2026 after the worst fire year on record, with 3,860 square miles burned in 2025. Over 40 years, wildfires have caused nearly 800 deaths across Europe, as reported by the European Environment Agency.

Europe is warming faster than any other continent, with temperatures rising more than twice the global average since the 1980s. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service links human-caused climate change to extreme fire conditions like those in France, suggesting they are now at least twice as likely.