On Sunday, a tragic midair collision of two Greek firefighting helicopters occurred while battling a raging wildfire near Athens. The collision resulted in the death of two crew members, identified as one Greek and one Danish national. Two other crew members, a Greek and a British national, were rescued and survived the crash. The full details of their condition remain unclear.
The helicopters, both Bell models, were operating in the Psatha area, a region west of the Greek capital. The incident underscores the peril faced by emergency service personnel as Europe grapples with a severe wildfire crisis. Strong winds have exacerbated the situation, spreading flames further into the region and prompting additional evacuations.
The fire initially sparked near Agios Vasileios on Friday, before advancing toward Porto Germeno and the forested mountains around Athens.
Authorities evacuated 254 people Friday and 12 more on Saturday, primarily by sea due to roads becoming impassable from fire and smoke. Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft are involved in combating the blaze, but gale-force winds hinder their efforts, complicating water retrieval from coastal areas.
Western Attica is at particular risk, with flames threatening nearby communities and industrial zones. This stark development is reminiscent of the notorious Mati wildfire in 2018 that resulted in the loss of 104 lives, Europe’s most lethal blaze in recent times.
Evacuations have been ordered for Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli as thick smoke clouds the region’s skies. Porto Germeno, near the Gulf of Corinth, remains a focus of concern. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been apprised of the ongoing operations.
Elsewhere in Greece, the Ionian island of Kefalonia underwent evacuations due to threatening flames as aircraft made strategic water drops. Another fire near Nea Tenedos in Halkidiki also posed challenges to firefighting teams.
The crisis worsens as recent weeks have witnessed multiple firefighter casualties across Greece; two recently perished on Crete, with another losing their life in the Peloponnese. A local farmer, Minas Tzortzanis, lamented the destruction wrought upon the lush forests, describing the scene as an unexplainable devastation of paradise.
Beyond Greece, wildfires have forced the evacuation of around 250,000 individuals over France, Spain, and other European regions. The displacement coincides with peak summer months, taxing emergency services amid simultaneous fiery disasters.
Europe faced its most destructive fire year in 2025, with a record of 3,860 square miles scorched. Over the last four decades, wildfires have led to nearly 800 fatalities across the continent, according to the European Environment Agency.
European climate conditions continue to evolve rapidly. The continent warms at a rate over double the global average since the 1980s. The Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood of extreme fire-weather conditions this year in France, per rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution.