Emergency services in Greece are intensifying operations after two firefighting helicopters collided midair, killing two crew members and leaving two others rescued alive. Nearly 500 firefighters and water-dropping aircraft are deployed west of Athens while strong winds hamper aerial efforts. Authorities have evacuated hundreds, issued fines totaling €70,100 on suspected arson, and launched an investigation into the crash. The fires come amid a wider European heat wave and drought that have worsened the wildfire threat.
Deadly Midair Helicopter Collision as Greece Battles Widespread Wildfires
Volunteers battle a wildfire burning near Porto Germeno, 70 kilometres northwest of Athens, in the region of Viotia, Greece, on Aug. 2, 2026. —Costas Baltas—Getty Images
Emergency services across Greece are intensifying efforts to contain widespread wildfires a day after two firefighting helicopters collided in midair, killing two crew members.
Current Situation
Nearly 500 firefighters have been deployed to fight blazes west of Athens, with water-dropping aircraft used early Monday as crews worked to halt advancing fires. Greece’s national fire and rescue service reports roughly 220 agro-forest fires have ignited across the country since July 27.
A high-risk warning remains in effect for areas around Athens at least until Tuesday, and hundreds of residents have been evacuated from nearby communities. The seaside resort of Porto Germeno issued additional evacuation notices as crews continued to battle major fires.
Fatal Collision and Rescue
The midair collision occurred Sunday during suppression operations about 65 km (42 miles) west of Athens, in the Psatha area of Attica. Two crew members — identified as the Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot — were killed in the crash. Two others, a British national and another Greek crew member, were rescued alive from the second helicopter. An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the collision.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis: "The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot while they were operating in the major fire at Porto Germeno fills us all with grief. The burden of the battle has fallen almost exclusively on our frontline teams."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission: "It takes a special courage to fly towards the flames so that others can be safe. As we continue to battle these fires side by side, Europe grieves with Greece and Denmark."
Operational Challenges and Enforcement
Strong winds and extreme turbulence have severely limited aerial operations, making water intakes and drops unsafe in several recent instances, officials said. Authorities have also stepped up enforcement against suspected arson: about 22 administrative fines have been issued so far, totaling €70,100 (approximately $80,700), and arrests on suspicion of arson have been reported.
Wider European Context
The Greek fires come amid a broader European wave of heat and drought. Large wildfires have also affected parts of France, Spain and the U.K. In France President Emmanuel Macron described recent blazes as "the toughest since the Second World War," while Spanish authorities called fires near Madrid among the worst on record. In England a drought has been declared in seven areas after record-low rainfall, and the U.K.'s weather service said England and Wales provisionally recorded their driest July on record.
Outlook
Crews warned that the heat wave and dry conditions increase the risk that fires thought to be contained could reignite and spread rapidly. The investigation into the helicopter collision is ongoing as emergency teams continue suppression and evacuation operations.
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