Water-bombers return as Greece fights deadly wildfires across multiple fronts

Lighter winds on Aug 3 enabled Greece’s aerial firefighting fleet—nine water-bombers and nine helicopters—to rejoin about 450 ground firefighters combating blazes near Psatha, Kryo Pigadi and Kandyli, roughly 45-70 km west of Athens. The fires have burned over 12,000 ha of forest and farmland and have claimed five lives: three firefighters killed last week and a Danish pilot with a Greek co-pilot in a Bell-helicopter crash.

The crash also injured a British pilot and another Greek crew member, leading to a grounding of all Bell helicopters pending investigation. Authorities ordered new evacuations for villages around Kandyli, while Civil Protection placed Attica and Boeotia at level-four fire danger. Police detained two electricity-utility employees suspected of igniting a fire near Porto Germeno, and officials warned that hot, dry conditions keep the wildfire threat very high.