On Sunday 2nd August 2026, two Bell firefighting helicopters collided in mid-air while battling a major wildfire near Psatha, an area of western Attica near Athens, killing two crew members.  The crash occured as the aircraft were supporting operations against a wind-driven blaze that had destroyed more than 100 homes and forced many evacuations.  Video footage shows one helicopter striking the other before crashing in flames, the second aircraft made an emergency landing.  A Danish pilot and a Greek fire service coordinator were killed.  The crew of the second helicopter, a British pilot and another Greek coordinator, survived with injuries and were taken to a hospital in Athens.  The helicopters were owned by Australian company McDermott Aviation, deploying 15 aircraft for the 2026 fire season.

Greece leases 51 of its 84 firefighting aerial fleet through NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency NSPA to ensure transparency.

An official investigation into the cause of the collision has already begun.  All the other Bell helicopters were temporarily grounded (as protocol dictates) following the incident as a safety precaution, while other aircraft including 8 Erickson and 2 Chinook helicopters continued firefighting efforts, alongside 2 Canadair planes.  The whole fleet were grounded by nightfall.  Strong winds and dry conditions continue to complicate efforts to contain multiple wildfires across Greece and various islands, including Crete.

A string of destructive wildfires swept the country last week amid gale-force winds, and two firefighters died battling blazes on the southern island of Crete and one in the southern Peloponnese.  Greek authorities arrested 33 people on arson-related offences between 29th July and 2nd August 2026 as government investigators intensified efforts to determine the causes of multiple wildfires across the whole country.  According to official figures, 30 arrests involved negligent arson and 3 arrests involved intentional arson.

So far, the blaze that has ravaged Psatha, Porto Germeno and other areas west of Athens, has destroyed at least 12,600 hectares. Authorities issued new evacuation orders for the village of Psatha, as severe damage was reported in the nearby seaside village of Porto Germeno, where many properties were destroyed and acres of forest areas burned, spread by strong gale-force winds. 

The Municipality of Megara says 282 animals were rescued during the destructive wildfire near Porto Germeno and Attica-Boeotia.  Officials said 222 companion pet animals, 46 farm animals and 14 wild animals were saved by animal welfare volunteers and local firefighters.  Of those rescued, 131 pet animals have been collected by their families and 91 are being fostered pending adoption. 

Greece employs more firefighters as a share of its workforce than any other country in the European Union (EU), according to new Eurostat data, with 20,500 firefighters recorded in 2025.  Last year alone, more than 6,000 wildfires broke out nationwide, including 69 major blazes covering at least 30 hectares each.  The 2025 wildfire season killed one person and injured more than 60 others.

Europe, particularly France and Spain, has also been ravaged this summer season following little rain and fuelled by gale-force winds, conditions scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change and a continuous heatwave throughout June and July.  Last winter was mild and wet, encouraging vegetation growth, which dried out in successive hot spells, generating fuel for wildfires.