Fourth Day of Fierce Wildfire Near Athens Claims Two Crew Lives

For the fourth consecutive day, large numbers of Greek firefighters have been engaged in suppressing a wildfire that has razed homes, thousands of hectares of farmland and pine forests northwest of Athens. Strong winds have driven the flames, leading officials to use water tanks, 21 aircraft and heavy equipment to create fire breaks around the villages of Kandili and Agia Skepi. A helicopter collision on Sunday killed two crew members—a Greek national and a Danish national—and left two others—a Greek and a Briton—alive.

The crash occurred at low altitude, with footage suggesting one rotor blade struck the underside of the other. The blaze is suspected to have started from sparks on a private power line linked to wind turbines, and two Greek nationals have been arrested on arson charges. Deputy Climate Crisis Minister Kostas Katsafados warned that the climate crisis and recent winds are hampering water-bombing efforts.