Wildfire Crisis: Greece and France Battle Blazes

Five water-dropping planes and five helicopters took off at dawn on Monday to support hundreds of firefighters combating a significant wildfire west of Athens, Greece. This comes a day after a tragic midair collision between two firefighting helicopters resulted in the deaths of two crew members.

Collision Highlights Risks

The collision exposed the dangers of Europe’s wildfire crisis. Flames advanced towards the Greek capital, prompting new evacuations early Monday. Meanwhile, in France, firefighters are dealing with a fire area four times the size of Paris.

The deceased crew members were from Greece and Denmark. Their helicopter collided while addressing a fire near the seaside area of Psatha, which began on Friday morning. Strong winds propelled the blaze through pine forests and scrubland over the weekend, often grounding water-dropping planes.

The crew of the second helicopter, comprising a Greek and a British national, were hospitalized with light injuries. Greece often relies on foreign firefighting crews during its dry summer season.

Strong Winds and Evacuation Efforts

As of Monday, the winds were subsiding, offering hope to the nearly 500 firefighters working to contain the fire. However, authorities warned that the broader Athens region, Attica, was still at high risk due to rising temperatures.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated, with over 250 rescued by boats from local beaches. Early on Monday, evacuation orders were issued for three additional areas as crews attempted to create firebreaks in the forest to halt the fire’s spread.

Cause and Arrests

Greece’s firefighting department indicated that the fire likely began from sparks emitted by a faulty power line, transporting electricity from a private wind generator facility. Two individuals, an electrical engineer and a contractor, were arrested and face felony arson charges. An arrest warrant was also issued for the wind generator company’s owner.

Greece faces destructive wildfires every summer due to hot, dry conditions and strong winds. Despite prevention measures, such as bans on outdoor barbecues and certain works, negligence, including illegal activities, remains a common cause. Authorities in Kefalonia arrested one man suspected of starting a fire that spread rapidly, leading to the evacuation of nearby villages.

Wildfire Impact in France and Spain

In France, a significant wildfire held within its perimeter on Sunday night led to France’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime. Hot spots persisted within a 420-square-kilometer area, displacing thousands and engaging nearly 3,000 firefighters against fires in the Gironde region and Provence.

Collectively, fires across France and Spain have displaced about a third of a million people, forcing the evacuation of communities during the peak of the European summer and stretching emergency services across multiple disasters.