{"id":2639256,"date":"2026-08-02T13:13:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-firefighting-helicopters-collide-midair-near-athens-as-europes-wildfire-emergency-rages\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T13:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T17:29:20","slug":"two-firefighting-helicopters-collide-midair-near-athens-as-europes-wildfire-emergency-rages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-firefighting-helicopters-collide-midair-near-athens-as-europes-wildfire-emergency-rages\/","title":{"rendered":"Two firefighting helicopters collide midair near Athens as Europe\u2019s wildfire emergency rages"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftwo-firefighting-helicopters-collide-midair-near-athens-as-europes-wildfire-emergency-rages%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2639256&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided midair while combating a wildfire west of Athens, resulting in teh crash and the recovery of four crew members-two safe and two unconscious. The incident highlighted the dangers faced in Europe\u2019s wildfire emergency, with strong winds driving fires further into the region, leading to evacuations and destruction of large areas, including areas four times the size of Paris in France and extensive fires in Spain. the fires in France and Spain have displaced nearly 300,000 people and stretched emergency services amidst record wildfire activity, exacerbated by climate change, which has made such extreme conditions more likely. in Greece, wildfires threatened communities and caused fatalities among firefighters, while efforts to contain wildfires in France and Spain continue, with firefighting resources being reinforced. Europe&#8217;s wildfire season remains severe, driven by rising temperatures and human-caused climate factors, underscoring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/canadian-wildfires-what-canada-is-doing-about-the-various-infernos\/\" title=\"Canada&#039;s response to the raging wild...s.\">growing wildfire threat<\/a> across the continent.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ATHENS, Greece (AP) \u2014<\/strong> Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday as they were battling a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-europe-spain-turkey-bf4593aa20b4a8d8d6a113f4f8740728\">wind-driven wildfire<\/a> west of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/athens\">Athens<\/a>, sending one aircraft crashing to the ground, footage showed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four crew members were recovered, the Greek fire department said. Two were recovered safely while the other two were unconscious. No further details about their condition was immediately available.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4672178\/two-firefighting-helicopters-crash-midair-greece\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Two firefighting helicopters collide midair near Athens as Europe\u2019s wildfire emergency rages<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4672137\/moscow-mayor-bombing-restaurant-terrorism\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Moscow mayor calls a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/explosion-at-southern-india-christian-prayer-gathering\/\" title=\"Explosion rocks Christian prayer gathering in South India.\">deadly bomb attack<\/a> on a restaurant a \u2018terrorist act\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4671687\/brewing-conflict-anti-houthi-coalition-risks-blowing-up-us-strategy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Brewing conflict within the anti-Houthi coalition risks blowing up the US strategy in Yemen<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The collision laid bare the danger at the most volatile front of Europe\u2019s wildfire emergency. Strong winds drove flames deeper into the region of the Greek capital and forced fresh evacuations, France guarded a still-burning scar <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/france-spain-bordeaux-wildfires-heat-wave-climate-change-c3d9c45cdbf57d19bbec46d49e5237de\">four times the size of Paris<\/a>, while Spain\u2019s major fires stopped advancing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aircraft were Bell helicopters operating over the Psatha area west of Athens, each with a two-person crew. Two of those aboard were Greek and two were foreign nationals, but authorities did not identify their countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flames spread rapidly through western Attica, threatening communities and an industrial district outside Megara as violent gusts prevented firefighting aircraft from collecting water from the sea. The advance carried grim resonance in a region where the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-europe-spain-turkey-bf4593aa20b4a8d8d6a113f4f8740728\">2018 Mati wildfire<\/a> killed 104 people, Europe\u2019s deadliest blaze this century.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Farther west, containment brought no end to the emergency. France\u2019s largest wildfire remained held within its perimeter after forcing 224,000 people to flee in what may have been the country\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/france-spain-bordeaux-wildfires-heat-wave-climate-change-c3d9c45cdbf57d19bbec46d49e5237de\">largest civilian evacuation outside wartime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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, still-uncontained blaze in Provence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-record-fire-damage-underscores-europe-s-growing-wildfire-threat\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Record fire damage underscores Europe\u2019s growing wildfire threat<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mass evacuations in France and Spain are the latest measure of a wildfire threat growing across Europe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continent entered 2026 after its worst fire year on record, with more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,860 square miles) burned in 2025. Over the past four decades, wildfires have been linked to nearly 800 deaths across much of Europe, according to the European Environment Agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Europe is the world\u2019s fastest-warming continent. It has warmed more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union\u2019s Copernicus Climate Change Service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Human-caused climate change made the extreme fire-weather conditions behind this year\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/france-spain-greece-wildfires-heat-climate-change-de0bfabe2249153afc0e16da2f7e02f3\">French blazes<\/a> at least twice as likely, scientists at World Weather Attribution found in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/global-warming-wildfires-spain-france-climate-change-8077d4611308af593805a3d54321ea59\">rapid analysis<\/a> conducted while the fires were still burning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-gale-force-winds-cripple-aerial-assault-near-athens\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gale-force winds cripple aerial assault near Athens<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >gale-force winds drove flames<\/a> through dry forest and crippled the response, preventing some aircraft from reaching the sea to collect water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authorities ordered the evacuation of Kandili, Agia Skepi and Toutouli as smoke rose over the mountains. Crews were particularly concerned about Porto Germeno, a seaside community on the Gulf of Corinth. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was briefed on the operation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fire began Friday near Agios Vasileios before sweeping toward Porto Germeno and into the forested mountains west of Athens. Firefighters evacuated 254 people by sea Friday and another 12 Saturday \u2014 often the last escape route when fire and smoke cut the few roads from coastal communities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wildfire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros estimated the blaze had affected 40 to 50 square kilometers (15 to 19 square miles), though authorities had issued no official figure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elsewhere in Greece, flames threatened homes on Kefalonia, forcing evacuations from inland communities as aircraft made water drops over the Ionian island. Firefighters battled another blaze near Nea Tenedos in Halkidiki.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this week, two firefighters died fighting a fire on Crete, while a third was killed in the Peloponnese.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire,\u201d local farmer Minas Tzortzanis said Saturday. \u201cThere are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-france-guards-vast-megafire-scar-against-renewed-flames\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">France guards vast megafire scar against renewed flames<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In southwestern France, the Gironde megafire remained held within its perimeter Sunday but continued to burn after scorching 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of forest in 10 days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe fire is now fixed, which does not mean that the fire is extinguished,\u201d the Gironde prefecture said, using the French firefighting term for a blaze whose advance has been stopped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The region remained under France\u2019s highest red forest-fire alert. Dry conditions, soaring temperatures around Bordeaux and afternoon winds threatened to rekindle the flames.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Le Porge, local officials said about 150 homes were destroyed. Mechanic Matthieu Plessis returned Saturday to the ruins of a house that had been in his family for seven generations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are places I don\u2019t even recognize anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t even know what was here anymore, or who lived where.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Firefighters from Ukraine, Lithuania and French Polynesia were expected Sunday and Monday to reinforce the operation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-provence-fire-stops-advancing-but-remains-uncontained\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Provence fire stops advancing but remains uncontained<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In southeastern France, nearly 1,500 firefighters battled a separate blaze in the Var department that tore through about 18 square kilometers (7 square miles) in little more than a day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Gros Bessillon fire was stabilized Sunday after its perimeter held overnight, but it remained uncontained. Some 2,500 people were evacuated as flames threatened nearby communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was the fourth major fire to strike central Var since July 19. A smaller blaze near Brignoles earlier in the week forced <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/france-wildfires-clooney-family-evacuate-f64ee9444fc86248698744f186e33071\">actor George Clooney and his family<\/a>, along with about 700 other residents, to evacuate before it was brought under control.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prime Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu said France\u2019s fires were generally under control but warned that conditions remained volatile. He appointed a national coordinator to oversee reconstruction in fire-ravaged areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 1,170 square kilometers (452 square miles) have burned across France this year.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-spain-s-deadly-fire-siege-eases-as-crews-guard-perimeters\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spain\u2019s deadly fire siege eases as crews guard perimeters<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain\u2019s major fires \u2014 part of a season that has killed at least 13 people, produced the country\u2019s largest recorded wildfire and prompted a national emergency \u2014 were no longer advancing Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Zamora province near the Portuguese border, more than 20 ground and aerial units guarded the perimeter of the Fermoselle fire against flare-ups in the rugged Arribes del Duero landscape. Most evacuees had returned home, according to local media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez has called for a national pact to confront wildfires, warning that climate change is making them increasingly destructive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Greek firefighting helicopters collide during wildfire near Athens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2639257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26214359931700.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[83587,83586,35224,83585,49602],"class_list":["post-2639256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-aerial-firefighting","tag-athens-wildfire","tag-emergency-response","tag-firefighting-helicopters","tag-midair-collision"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26214359931700.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2639256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2639256"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2639256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2639264,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2639256\/revisions\/2639264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2639257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2639256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2639256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2639256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}