Overview
- Two Bell firefighting helicopters crashed over Psatha in western Attica on Sunday, and authorities confirmed two crew members died while two others were rescued.
- The collision occurred during large operations northwest of Athens where fast winds and flames destroyed more than 100 homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate by sea.
- Nearly 500 firefighters, dozens of aircraft and international teams from countries such as France and Romania were deployed but gale-force winds limited water drops and complicated aerial work.
- Investigations are under way into both the crash and the fires, with early local reports probing an electrical-spark ignition linked to wind-turbine conductors and arrests on suspicion of negligence.
- Across Europe major western blazes in France and Spain have eased with the Gironde fire held within its perimeter but not fixed while continent-wide heat and drought are stressing water, energy and emergency systems.