Disaster Strikes Greek Wildfire Mission as Firefighting Helicopters Collide Mid-Air West of Athens

Two firefighting helicopters collided in mid-air during wildfire operations west of Athens on Sunday, killing two crew members and injuring two others as Greece battled fast-moving flames in western Attica.

The crash occurred over the Psatha and Porto Germeno area, where strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions were helping to drive one of the country's most intense wildfires of the summer.

The collision came during one of Greece's most difficult wildfire periods this season, with around 500 firefighters and multiple aircraft already deployed around coastal and forested areas west of the capital.

The incident added a major aviation emergency to a wider fire battle that has been threatening communities, roads and escape routes in the Athens region.

Fire Service Details Deadly Mid-Air Collision

According to Greece's fire service, the two Bell helicopters, each carrying a two-person crew, were taking part in an aerial firefighting mission when they collided over the Psatha area west of Athens after taking off from Elefsina military airport.

The service said search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised to locate and assist the crews.

Footage circulated after the crash showed one of the helicopters striking the other before bursting into flames and falling from the sky. Greek media reported that the aircraft were operating over a dense wildfire zone where ground and air crews were already working in strong winds and high temperatures.

Crews Caught in Developing Emergency

All four crew members were eventually located, with two recovered alive and two later confirmed dead. Officials reported that one of the surviving crew members was a Greek national and the other a foreign national, while the two who died included one Greek and one foreign crew member.

No further medical details were immediately available on the condition of those rescued.

The helicopters collided while tackling a wind‑driven wildfire west of Athens, during an operation that investigators say will be examined as part of a formal inquiry into the cause of the crash.

Greece's fire service has not yet released findings on how the aircraft came into contact, and experts caution that attributing the collision to pilot error, visibility problems or airspace coordination at this stage would be speculative.

Wildfire Pressure on Athens Region

The wildfire had already forced evacuations in communities west of Athens before the crash, with Greece's Civil Protection and the Hellenic Coast Guard moving people by sea from coastal areas when fire and smoke cut road access.

Flames spread through western Attica, threatening villages along the Geraneia mountains and an industrial district outside Megara, as firefighters worked on multiple fronts around Porto Germeno and nearby settlements.

Local civil protection officials and meteorologists said the fire near Porto Germeno, about 60 to 70 kilometres northwest of Athens, has burned through tens of square kilometres of forest and destroyed more than one hundred homes and other structures.

Gale‑force winds that had driven the blaze eased at times, but meteorologists and civil protection authorities warned that the combination of dry vegetation and high temperatures kept conditions volatile.

Investigation and Firefighting Capacity

The focus now is on completing the investigation into the collision and assessing its impact on Greece's aerial firefighting capacity. Greece's fire service has said a detailed report will follow once aviation and safety authorities examine flight data, operational procedures and weather conditions at the time of the incident.

Until then, officials say they will continue to rely heavily on aircraft and ground crews to contain wildfires near Athens and across other high‑risk regions as the summer heat persists.