Mid-air crash near Athens sparks urgent rescue as flames rage
Smoke choked the hills west of Athens on Sunday as firefighters fought a fast-moving wildfire. Then two helicopters slammed into each other in the sky.
WATCH: Two firefighting helicopters crash while fighting a wildfire in Greece. pic.twitter.com/EM3EF3OGLs
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 2, 2026
The collision happened in the Psatha area, near Porto Germeno, while the crews dropped water on a wind-driven blaze. Greece fire officials said the two Bell helicopters, each carrying a two-person crew, had taken off from Elefsina military airport. Television footage showed one aircraft exploding and plunging to the ground in flames after what appeared to be a rotor strike.
Search-and-rescue teams scrambled immediately. Officials confirmed one crew was located and safe. Efforts continued for the second crew as hot, dry conditions and strong winds complicated the operation.
The fire has already destroyed more than 100 homes and forced evacuations. Nearly 500 firefighters, backed by aircraft and heavy machinery, battle multiple fronts. Flames reached settlements and a military range, where unexploded ammunition posed extra danger. Gale-force winds earlier made aerial operations risky; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of “extremely difficult” days ahead as extreme weather grips the country.
Greece is one of several European nations facing intense summer wildfires after successive heatwaves and little rain. Blazes have also hit Crete, other islands, and parts of the mainland, prompting thousands of evacuations.
BREAKING: Footage has emerged of the moment two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while tackling a blaze in Psatha, west of Athens.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 2, 2026
Sky's @BarnabyPap has the latest developments.https://t.co/WykKEqAxAz
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