Water-dropping aircraft tackle major Greek wildfire after two firefighters die in crash
Five water-dropping planes and five helicopters took off at first light Monday, August 1, to help hundreds of firefighters battling a major wildfire west of Athens, a day after two crew members were killed in a midair collision involving firefighting helicopters.
The blaze forced fresh evacuations in the early hours of Monday as strong winds pushed flames through pine forests and scrubland towards the wider Athens region.
The two crew members — one Greek and one Danish national — died when their helicopter collided with another near the seaside area of Psatha while fighting the fire, which began Friday.
The crew of the second helicopter — a Greek and a British national — were taken to hospital with light injuries.
Nearly 500 firefighters were battling the blaze, with easing winds on Monday raising hopes that crews could halt its advance. Authorities, however, warned that the broader Attica region remained at high risk of wildfires as temperatures were expected to rise.
More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the affected region, including more than 250 who were rescued by boats from nearby beaches. Evacuation orders were issued for three more areas early Monday as crews worked to create firebreaks.
Greece's firefighting department said the fire apparently started when sparks were emitted by a faulty power line carrying electricity from a private wind generator facility to the main electricity network.
Two people were arrested — an electrical engineer responsible for designing and overseeing the power project and a contractor involved in building the electricity transmission network. Both face felony arson charges. Authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for the owner of the wind generator company.
Greece faces devastating wildfires every summer, with hot, dry conditions and strong winds often helping small fires spread rapidly. Authorities say most of the hundreds of wildfires reported in the country each year are caused by negligence, although some are deliberately set.
Meanwhile, France's largest wildfire remained contained within its perimeter on Sunday night after forcing 224,000 people to evacuate, in what may have been the country's largest civilian evacuation outside wartime.
Hot spots continued to burn within a 420-square-kilometre area, while thousands of people remained unable to return home. Nearly 3,000 firefighters were deployed to tackle the Gironde megafire and another blaze in Provence.
Fires in France and Spain have forced roughly a third of a million people to flee homes and holiday destinations, putting pressure on emergency services during the peak of the European summer.
