{
  "id": 75169,
  "title": "Water-dropping aircraft take off to tackle major Greek wildfire, after 2 killed in crash",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/water-dropping-aircraft-take-off-to-tackle-major-greek-wildfire-after",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-03T06:23:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/greece-france-wildfires-helicopter-crash-evacuations-65e96b9346f28b32ac00cb7c27129bb4"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Five water-dropping aircraft and five helicopters departed early Monday from Athens, Greece, to support thousands of firefighters combating a significant wildfire west of the capital. This occurred just a day after a mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters claimed the lives of two crew members, highlighting the risks associated with battling such volatile fires. The flames advanced deeper into the area surrounding Athens, prompting yet another round of evacuations. Meanwhile, in France, authorities were working to contain a wildfire that had scorched an area four times larger than Paris. The two individuals who perished in the crash – one Greek and one Danish – were aboard a helicopter that collided with another near Psatha while attempting to extinguish the fire that ignited on Friday morning. The blaze scorched through pine forests and brushland throughout the weekend, with gale-force winds often impeding the operations of water-dropping planes. The crew of the second helicopter, consisting of a Greek and a British national, suffered minor injuries and were subsequently taken to a hospital. International firefighting and helicopter crews are frequently mobilized in Greece to assist in combating wildfires during the country's sweltering, arid summers. With winds easing on Monday, there is optimism that the nearly 500 firefighters on the ground could successfully contain the blaze. However, authorities cautioned that the broader Athens region of Attica remains highly vulnerable to wildfires due to a predicted rise in temperatures. Over 1,000 individuals have been evacuated from the affected region, including more than 250 rescued by boats from nearby beaches. Evacuation orders were issued early Monday for three additional areas, while crews labored to establish firebreaks in a forest to impede the wildfire's progress. The Greek firefighting service stated that the fire was likely sparked by sparks from a malfunctioning power line that delivered electricity from a private wind generator facility to the national grid. Two individuals were apprehended in connection with the incident – an electrical engineer who oversaw the design and implementation of the power project, and a contractor involved in constructing the electricity transmission network. Both face felony arson charges, and authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for the owner of the wind generator company.",
  "summary": "ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Five water-dropping planes and another five helicopters took off at first light Monday to help hundreds of firefighters battling a major wildfire west of Athens, Greece, a day after a midair…",
  "key_points": [
    "Five water-dropping aircraft and helicopters deployed to Greek wildfire",
    "Mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters kills two crew members",
    "Over 1,000 evacuated from affected region in Athens"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/75169.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Greek crews fight wildfire northwest of Athens for fourth day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/greek-crews-fight-wildfire-northwest-of-athens-for-fourth-day",
        "published": "2026-08-03T10:43:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "\"The situation is out of control\": Greek firefighters battle wildfire for fourth day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/the-situation-is-out-of-control-greek-firefighters-battle-wildfire",
        "published": "2026-08-03T15:30:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}