- The wildfires have claimed five lives: a Danish pilot and Greek co-pilot died after two Bell helicopters collided near Psatha, and the other helicopter's British pilot and Greek co-pilot were injured; three firefighters had died earlier in Crete and the Peloponnese.
- Pending an official investigation, all Bell helicopters deployed to the firefighting operation were grounded; the helicopters were leased from Australia’s McDermott Aviation as part of a fleet of 15 aircraft.
- After wind gusts reaching 80 kilometres per hour grounded aircraft, lighter winds allowed aerial operations with nine water-bombing aircraft, nine helicopters and about 450 firefighters.
- A fire service spokesperson said three difficult fronts were active near Psatha, Kryo Pigadi and Kandyli west of Athens, and authorities ordered new evacuations near Kandyli.
- Deputy Minister Kostas Katsafados said the battle was 'uneven', and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned that Greece faced 'extremely difficult' days ahead.
- Police arrested two electricity utility employees in connection with one fire that investigators believe may have been sparked by an electrical cable near Porto Germeno; authorities warned the wildfire threat would remain 'very high', placing Attica and Boeotia at level four.
- More than 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned over the past week, according to analyses from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation programme cited by local media; scientists link increasingly frequent and intense wildfires to climate change.
Two firefighting helicopters collided near Psatha, Greece, on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot. This incident occurred amid ongoing wildfires that have claimed five lives since last week, including three firefighters in separate incidents.123
Authorities reported that more than 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned over the past week, exacerbated by high temperatures and dry conditions. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of “extremely difficult” days ahead as the country battles multiple blazes.10111415
On Monday, water-bombing operations resumed as winds eased, allowing nine water-bombing aircraft and nine helicopters to join approximately 450 firefighters in combating the flames in Boeotia and Attica. A department spokesperson noted, “Today we are facing three difficult fronts: Psatha, Kryo Pigadi and Kandyli.”67891213
The collision of the helicopters has led to the grounding of all Bell helicopters involved in firefighting operations, pending an investigation. The aircraft were leased from Australia’s McDermott Aviation, which has supported operations in Greece for seven years. Authorities have also arrested two employees of an electricity utility company in connection with one of the fires, believed to have been sparked by an electrical cable near Porto Germeno.45
As the wildfire threat remains “very high”, Civil Protection has placed Attica and neighboring Boeotia at level four on a five-point fire danger scale.
“The collision killed a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot and injured the other helicopter's British pilot and Greek co-pilot, bringing the wildfire death toll to five. All Bell helicopters were grounded pending an investigation, as authorities ordered evacuations near Kandyli and warned of ‘very high’ fire danger in Attica and Boeotia.”
