Greece Helicopter Crash: 2 Fire Crew Dead, 2 Injured During Wildfire Operation; Video Surfaces

Two crew members were killed and two others hospitalized after two hired Bell firefighting helicopters collided in Greece on Sunday as crews battled multiple wildfires that have ravaged large stretches of land across the country, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warning that 'extremely difficult' days lie ahead as extreme weather continues to hamper firefighting efforts. The collision occurred while the aircraft were working to douse a wildfire in the Psatha area west of Athens, according to the fire service.

Search And Rescue Effort Confirms Casualties

The fire service said search and rescue teams were mobilised immediately to locate and assist the helicopter crews following the crash. Of the crew members involved, two were confirmed dead and two others were hospitalized. Television footage captured one of the helicopters exploding and crashing to the ground in flames following what appeared to be a mid-air rotor collision. Ukraine Claims Strikes on Key Russian Military, Energy Facilities; Calls for Tougher Sanctions.

2 Fire Helicopter Crew Dead, 2 Hospitalized After Mid-Air Collision In Greece

Extreme Winds Grounding Aircraft, PM Says

Mitsotakis said Greece was facing extreme weather conditions, with wind speeds reaching 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour in some areas. "When the winds blow with such force, even the dozens of aircraft we have at our disposal cannot operate safely," he wrote on Facebook.

Nearly 500 firefighters were deployed near the coastal village of Porto Germeno, roughly 70 kilometres northwest of Athens, trying to stop the fire from reaching the western outskirts of the capital after it climbed a mountain overnight. Around 100 more firefighters were tackling a separate blaze in Aigialia in the northern Peloponnese, while a new fire broke out late Saturday on the Ionian island of Cephalonia, a popular holiday destination. Swat Blast: Explosion at Pakistan Peace Rally Leaves 7 Dead, 18 Hurt (Video).

Man Arrested Over Cephalonia Blaze

A 44 year old man was arrested on Sunday in Cephalonia on suspicion of deliberately starting the fire, Greek news agency ANA reported. Early estimates from the National Observatory's climate tracker meteo.gr suggested that more than 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) had burned across separate fires around the Gulf of Corinth, including the blaze that swept through Porto Germeno. The observatory noted that conditions remained difficult mainly due to strong northerly winds, though these had eased somewhat compared to previous days.

'Is Anyone There?': Police Go Door To Door

Porto Germeno and nearby villages were evacuated after the fire broke out on Friday, though local authorities say dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed. A forest management researcher from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki told state broadcaster ERT that the fire spread with alarming speed. Police footage showed officers on motorcycles going door to door in the village of Agios Nektarios near Porto Germeno, sounding sirens and calling out to residents to evacuate as flames approached.

A farmer who lost his home in the fire said more than a dozen houses had been destroyed in the village. He told AFP he was left watching a burned forest where his home once stood.

Officials Warn Blaze May Be Classified A 'Megafire'

Fires earlier in the week on the islands of Crete and Paros had already affected around 6,000 hectares, according to meteo.gr. A wildfire meteorologist and senior researcher at the National Observatory said the Porto Germeno fires appeared to have burned over 10,000 hectares, nearly double initial estimates, and said it was highly likely the blaze would be classified as a megafire.

Greece's Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said on Saturday that the fire department had been pushed to its limits, with firefighters facing dozens of fires daily. He said gale force winds had created extremely difficult conditions, in many cases preventing aircraft from drawing water or making drops due to severe turbulence.

Three Firefighters Also Dead, Athens On High Alert

Separately, three firefighters have died in the line of duty in recent days battling the wildfires, two in Crete and one in the Peloponnese. Although winds eased late on Saturday, the greater Athens region along with Voiotia and the island of Evia remained under near maximum fire risk on Sunday, the civil protection ministry said. Greece, like much of the Mediterranean, faces destructive wildfires every summer driven by high temperatures, frequent heatwaves and drought linked to the climate crisis.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2026 10:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).