Archive · 2 Aug 2026
Helicopter Collision Kills Two Amid Greece Wildfires
Two firefighting helicopters crashed in Greece while fighting a big fire near Athens.
The crash killed two people, one from Greece and one from Denmark, and left two others injured.
The fire had already burned more than 100 houses and forced people to leave their homes on the island of Kefalonia.
Strong winds made it hard for the helicopters to drop water, and the fire spread over 10,000 hectares of land.
In France and Spain, big fires were mostly stopped, but France still had a huge fire that burned 420 square kilometres.
In Hungary, the Danube river was very low, so the country had to shut its only nuclear power plant for the first time in 40 years.
The whole event shows how dangerous wildfires can be, especially when the weather is very hot and windy.
It also shows how many countries are dealing with big fires at the same time.
The Greek government and other European leaders are working to keep people safe and to fight the fires.
Two Bell firefighting helicopters collided over Psatha, Attica, killing two crew members (one Greek, one Danish) and injuring two others (Greek, British).
The collision happened while crews battled a wind‑driven wildfire that destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens and forced evacuations on Kefalonia.
The blaze spread across roughly 10,000 hectares, threatening the coastal town of Megara and a military firing range, with gale‑force winds hampering aerial water drops.
European wildfires in France and Spain were largely contained, but France’s Gironde megafire still burned 420 km² and Spain’s Fermoselle fire had been stabilized.
Hungary shut its sole nuclear plant for the first time in 40 years because Danube water levels fell to record lows amid a heatwave.
- Who
- Greek firefighting crews (including Greek, Danish, British nationals) and Greek authorities
- What
- Midair collision of two firefighting helicopters during wildfire suppression, resulting in two deaths and injuries; widespread wildfires across Greece, France, Spain; nuclear plant shutdown in Hungary
- When
- Sunday, August 2, 2026
- Where
- Psatha area west of Athens, Attica, Greece; also Greece, France, Spain, Hungary
- Why
- Gale‑force winds and intense fire conditions made firefighting operations hazardous; low Danube water levels forced nuclear plant shutdown
- Incident
- Midair collision of firefighting helicopters
- Date
- August 2, 2026
- Location
- Psatha, Attica, Greece
- Casualties
- 2 dead, 2 injured
- Fire area destroyed
- >10,000 hectares
- Helicopters
- Bell helicopters
- Crew nationalities
- Greek, Danish, British
