Firefighting helicopters collide near Athens as Greece battles wildfires

What the report says

Two firefighting helicopters collided in midair west of Athens on Sunday while responding to a wildfire in the Psatha area, according to Al Jazeera, which reported that four crew members were aboard the leased Bell aircraft. Television images showed one helicopter catching fire and crashing, and search-and-rescue teams were deployed to locate the crews. The aircraft had taken off from Elefsina military airport in the Athens metropolitan area.

The crash came as Greece faced another dangerous day of wildfires after a summer marked by intense heat and prolonged dry conditions across Europe. Al Jazeera said the fires in Greece had destroyed more than 100 homes and triggered evacuations. Near Porto Germeno, firefighters were also trying to stop a separate blaze that crossed a mountain and reached a military firing range, where unexploded ordnance was reported to have been activated. Nearly 500 firefighters were working there, with support from France and Romania.

The report said flames had reached the settlement of Veniza, and authorities were trying to keep the fire away from the coastal town of Megara. In another development, a 44-year-old man was arrested on Kefalonia on suspicion of starting a fire, based on Greek news agency reporting cited by Al Jazeera.

The article placed the Greek emergency response in a wider European context, noting that France and Spain were also dealing with summer wildfires, while drought and record-low river levels were affecting energy and water supplies in parts of the Balkans. That broader backdrop underscores how extreme heat and dry weather are straining firefighting and infrastructure across the region.