Two Helicopters Collide Battling Major Wildfire in Greece's Attica

The collision occurred during a firefighting mission in western Attica, where emergency crews have been battling a fast-moving wildfire

Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in the Attica region west of Athens on Sunday, as crews worked to contain a blaze that has destroyed more than 100 homes and scorched thousands of hectares amid Greece’s intensifying wildfire emergency. A video circulating online appeared to show the aircraft crossing paths at low altitude before one crashed in flames. The two helicopters were approaching each other during a water-dropping operation near Psatha, west of Athens. The lower helicopter’s main rotor appeared to strike the underside of the aircraft above it before it crashed in flames, while the second helicopter released its water load and flew away. Greek government officials said the crew of one helicopter had been located and were safe, with ambulances on the way to pick them up. The second helicopter was also located, and a search-and-rescue operation was underway. The collision occurred during a firefighting mission in the area of Psatha in western Attica, where emergency crews have been battling a fast-moving wildfire driven by strong winds. Although gale-force winds that had fuelled the blaze around Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth later subsided, flames crossed a mountain ridge, reached the settlement of Veniza and spread towards a military firing range, igniting unexploded ordnance. Firefighters concentrated their efforts on preventing the fire from advancing towards the coastal town of Megara, which has a population of around 30,000. Greek authorities issued emergency evacuation alerts for several settlements in western Attica, including an industrial estate near Megara. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the scale of the crisis in his regular Sunday message. "There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability," Mitsotakis said. In the village of Agios Konstantinos, residents joined firefighters in trying to contain the blaze. "The fire has been burning since last night, it is certain that they cannot have forces everywhere. We as residents are doing everything we can," said Tasos Tzempelikos, 61, who along with his son was pouring water on the fire. Greek daily Protothema reported that a major effort was underway to stop the fire from Veniza reaching the nearby coastal town of Megara and estimated that more than 10,000 hectares had likely been destroyed. A fresh wildfire also broke out overnight on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, forcing evacuations from several settlements in the Pastra area in the island’s south. The latest outbreaks come after a period of relative calm in Greece, even as Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer following record-breaking heatwaves and prolonged dry conditions that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change. Elsewhere in Europe, wildfires in France’s Gironde and Var departments showed signs of easing, while major fires in central Spain were mostly under control despite several reignitions. Drought conditions across the continent have also pushed major rivers, including the Danube, to exceptionally low levels, disrupting energy production, shipping and tourism in several countries.