Firefighting helicopters collide in Greece amid European wildfire crisis

Your web browser is not fully supported by CBS News and CBSNews.com. For optimal experience and full features, please upgrade to a modern browser. You can get the new Microsoft Edge at microsoft.com/edge, available to download on all versions of Windows in more than 90 languages. '; document.getElementById('ieblock').setAttribute('style', 'background-color: #B60505; color: #F5F5F5; font-size: 20px; font-family: sans-serif; padding: 100px 100px'); } Latest U.S. Iran War Ceuta Migrants World Politics HealthWatch MoneyWatch Entertainment Crime Sports The Free Press Watch CBS News August 2, 2026 / 12:45 PM EDT / CBS/AP Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday as they were battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens , sending one aircraft crashing to the ground, footage showed. The aircraft were Bell helicopters operating over the Psatha area west of Athens, each with a two-person crew.

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Scoop News DeskGreece · Published Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTCUpdated Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 4:56 PM UTC

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Over the past four decades, wildfires have been linked to nearly 800 deaths across much of Europe , according to the European Environment Agency. Earlier this week, two firefighters died fighting a fire on Crete, while a third was killed in the Peloponnese. "A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire," local farmer Minas Tzortzanis said Saturday. "There are no words to explain what has happened. Strong winds drove flames deeper into the region of the Greek capital and forced fresh evacuations.