- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:31 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Two firefighting helicopters collided battling Greece wildfire.
- Collision resulted in two fatalities, one helicopter crashed.
- Wildfire caused by wind turbine sparks; arrests made.
Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while helping to control a huge wildfire on Sunday that has destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens, while people fled another blaze on the tourist island of Kefalonia.
Two people on one helicopter — a Greek and a Danish national — died, while the crew on the other, one person from Greece, one from Britain, survived, the fire service said. Investigations had started into what caused the collision, it added.
VIDEO: Two firefighting helicopters have collided while tackling wildfires
BREAKING: Two firefighting helicopters have collided while tackling wildfires in a region west of Athens.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 2, 2026
A search and rescue operation is under way in the Psatha area, according to Greece's fire department.
The crew members of one of the helicopters involved in… pic.twitter.com/vCsFmOJark
Europe wildfires
Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after a period of record-breaking heatwaves and little rain – conditions that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change.
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Destructive blazes in France and Spain showed some signs of easing over the weekend,
but several wildfires have broken out in Greece after a period of relative calm there.
The two helicopters collided in the area of Psatha in the Attica region, Greece's fire service said in a statement.
What happened to ill-fated helicopters?
Video posted on the Forecast Weather Greece Facebook page appeared to show two helicopters closing to cross paths at low altitude, before the main rotor of the lower helicopter struck the underside of the other. The lower one then crashed in flames.
The second helicopter then dumped its load of water and flew away. Reuters has not verified the authenticity of the footage. Investigations suggested the fire that started in the Greek region of Boeotia before spreading to Attica was caused by sparks from conductors on a private network transmitting electricity generated by wind turbines to the main power grid, the eKathimerini website reported.
Two Greek nationals were arrested on suspicion of negligence, while another suspect remains at large, the report said.
(With inputs from Reuters)