Two crew members were killed on Sunday when two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air while battling wildfires west of Athens, Greece. The fatalities included a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and another Greek co-ordinator on the second helicopter survived the incident.

The collision occurred approximately 65 km (42 miles) west of the capital, Athens, during efforts to tackle a large wildfire burning on the Attica-Boeotia border. Video footage showed one of the two Bell helicopters striking the propellers of the other, causing it to burst into flames and crash into a ravine. The second aircraft managed to make an emergency landing.

According to the Greek Fire Service, the two leased Bell helicopters were engaged in wildfire suppression when the accident happened. The crew of one aircraft were rescued alive, while the second crew were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed profound grief over the loss, stating the deaths of the Greek coordinator and Danish pilot filled everyone with sorrow and extended condolences to their families.

Following the incident, all Bell helicopters across Greece have been grounded as a precautionary measure, a source from the civil protection ministry confirmed. The Bell helicopter that made the emergency landing came down in an area of low vegetation. The two individuals on board, identified as a British pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, sustained minor injuries and remained conscious. They have been admitted to hospital for 24-hour observation.

The British survivor was a private pilot hired for the wildfire season and was not part of any official exchange program between the UK and Greece. Greece had not requested specific assistance from Athens for this role. Notably, the two survivors immediately reported the collision, providing crucial information that guided rescuers to the crash site.

While the names of the four crew members involved have not been publicly released, firefighting operations continue. Erickson Air-Crane, Chinook helicopters, and Canadair water-bombing aircraft are currently carrying out efforts to control the blazes. Greece has been experiencing significant wildfires this week, leading to mass evacuations in some areas.

This incident occurs as other European nations, including France and Spain, have also battled devastating wildfires exacerbated by prolonged heatwaves. Although major fires near Madrid and Bordeaux have been contained, they continue to smolder. In Greece, an intense struggle is underway across a wide territory including Porto Germeno, Psatha, Fokida, Megara, and Kefalonia, where over 500 firefighters have been working for the past 72 hours.

Most wildfires are initiated by human activity, either intentionally or accidentally. However, climate change is increasingly creating conditions that make such blazes more frequent and severe. The grounding of Bell helicopters signifies a significant, albeit temporary, reduction in aerial firefighting capacity for Greece during a critical period.