Water-dropping aircraft take off to tackle major Greek wildfire, after 2 killed in crash

Water-dropping aircraft take off to tackle major Greek wildfire, after 2 killed in crash 0 seconds of 53 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern Idaho 00:50 00:00 00:53 00:53 More Videos 00:50 Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern Idaho 01:00 Crowds of migrants swim around border from Morocco into Spanish territory of Ceuta 01:47 Surf's Pup! Making a splash at the Dog Surfing Championship 01:26 Cyclospora outbreak creates surprising business boom for one local lettuce farm 01:25 People at the Tarajal border fence in Ceuta as migrants try to reach Spanish territory 00:40 Trump says he will order halt to Iran strikes after parameters reached for deal to end war 01:34 Surf's Pup! Canine competitors ride to glory at Dog Surfing Championship 00:49 Wildfires force George Clooney's family to evacuate their home in southern France Close 1 of 6 | Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday as they were battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens. Nearly 500 first responders and 23 aircrafts were deployed, but gale-force winds drove flames through dry forest. Firefighters evacuated 254 people by sea on Friday and another 12 on Saturday — often the last escape route when fire and smoke cut the few roads that connect coastal communities. More Videos 0 seconds of 39 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Trump says he will order halt to Iran strikes after parameters reached for deal to end war 00:40 Auto1080p1080p720p540p360p270p180p 00:00 00:39 00:39 More Videos Close 2 of 6 | A campground on France’s Atlantic coast has reopened to holidaymakers after authorities lifted precautionary evacuation orders imposed during the Gironde wildfire (AP video shot by: Nicolas Garriga). 3 of 6 | A volunteer tries to extinguish small flames during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) 4 of 6 | A volunteer firefighter observs a flame rising next to a house during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) 5 of 6 | Flames are seen on a mountainside during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) 6 of 6 | A firefighting helicopter drops water over a smoke-filled forest during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) By ELENA BECATOROS and THOMAS ADAMSON Updated 7:52 AM MESZ, August 3, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Athens, Greece (AP) — Five water-dropping planes and another five helicopters took off at first light Monday to help hundreds of firefighters battling a major wildfire west of Athens, Greece, a day after a midair collision between two firefighting helicopters killed two crew members. The collision laid bare the danger at the most volatile front of Europe’s wildfire emergency. Flames bore down deeper into the region of the Greek capital, forcing fresh evacuations in the early hours of Monday. In France, firefighters guarded a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris. The two crew members — one Greek and one Danish national — died when their helicopter collided with another near the seaside area of Psatha while tackling the fire that started Friday morning. The blaze raged through pine forests and scrubland through the weekend, whipped by gale force winds that often prevented water-dropping planes from operating. The crew of the second helicopter – a Greek and a British national – were taken to a hospital, where their injuries were reported to be light. Foreign firefighting and helicopter crews are often deployed in Greece to help tackle wildfires during the country’s hot, dry summers. Easing winds raise hopes of halting the advance of the flames Strong winds were dying down Monday, raising hopes that the nearly 500 firefighters battling the blaze could manage to halt its advance. But authorities warned the broader Athens region of Attica remained at a high risk for wildfires due to a forecast increase in temperatures. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the region, including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area. Evacuation orders were issued in the early hours of Monday for three more areas, while crews worked to create firebreaks in a forest to help halt the advance of the blaze. 2 killed when firefighting helicopters collide near Athens as Europe’s wildfire emergency rages 1 MIN READ Europe’s wildfire crisis eases in west as danger shifts east to Greece 2 MIN READ Wildfires rage in Portugal, Greece and Spain while Greek authorities warn of toxic smoke 2 MIN READ Greece’s firefighting department said Sunday the fire apparently began from sparks emitted by a faulty power line transporting electricity from a private wind generator facility to the main electricity network. Two people were arrested — an electrical engineer responsible for designing and overseeing the power project, and a contractor involved in constructing the electricity transmission network. Both face felony arson charges, while authorities had also issued an arrest warrant for the owner of the wind generator company. Greece has devastating wildfires every summer, with hot, dry conditions and frequently strong winds making it easy for small sparks to trigger major blazes. Measures to limit fire risks, such as bans on barbecues and certain outdoor work such as welding and use of electrical power saws are often ignored. The vast majority of the hundreds of wildfires the country has each year are caused by negligence. But some fires are deliberately set. On Sunday, authorities said one man was arrested on Kefalonia on suspicion of having started a fire that spread quickly in the southeastern part of the island, triggering the evacuation of nearby villages. Major blaze in France contained, but hotspots remain Farther west, France’s largest wildfire remained held within its perimeter on Sunday night after forcing 224,000 people to flee in what may have been the country’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime. Hot spots still burned within a 420-square-kilometer (162-square-mile) scar, thousands remained unable to return home, and nearly 3,000 firefighters were deployed against the Gironde megafire and a second blaze in Provence. Together, fires in France and Spain have driven roughly a third of a million people from homes and vacation sites, emptied communities at the height of the European summer and stretched emergency services across simultaneous disasters. ELENA BECATOROS Becatoros oversees coverage of southeast Europe for The Associated Press, with frequent assignments to the Middle East and Afghanistan. Based in Athens, Greece, she has worked around the world, including covering war in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. twitter instagram mailto THOMAS ADAMSON Adamson is a foreign reporter based in Paris for The Associated Press. He covers European politics, culture and style. He has reported across the continent in an over two-decade career. twitter mailto