Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, as emergency crews fought to contain blazes that have destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens.

A separate wildfire also forced residents to evacuate several settlements on Kefalonia, one of Greece’s most popular tourist islands. The latest fires follow weeks of extreme heat and dry weather across Europe, which have created increasingly dangerous conditions for firefighters.

Search operation launched after helicopter collision

The helicopters collided during a firefighting operation near Psatha in the western Attica region, according to Greece’s fire service.

Video published by the Forecast Weather Greece Facebook page appeared to show the aircraft crossing paths at low altitude. The main rotor of the lower helicopter appeared to strike the underside of the aircraft above it before the lower helicopter crashed in flames.

The second helicopter released its water and flew away. Reuters said it had not independently verified the authenticity of the footage.

Government officials said the crew of one helicopter had been found and was safe, with ambulances sent to collect them. The second helicopter had also been located, but a search-and-rescue operation for its crew was continuing.

• Three firefighters killed as wildfires rage across Greece

Fire advances towards Megara

Gale-force winds that had fuelled the wildfire around Porto Germeno, on the Gulf of Corinth around 60 kilometres northwest of Athens, eased on Sunday.

However, the flames crossed a mountain to the south and reached the settlement of Veniza and a nearby military firing range, setting off unexploded ordnance.

Firefighters concentrated their efforts on preventing the blaze from advancing towards Megara, a coastal town with a population of about 30,000. Emergency evacuation alerts were issued for several settlements in western Attica, including an industrial estate near the town.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the scale of the emergency demonstrated how extreme weather conditions could overwhelm even extensive preparations and operational resources.

“There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability,” he said in his regular Sunday message.

Residents join firefighting efforts

Residents in affected communities attempted to defend their homes and prevent the flames from spreading while emergency crews worked across the region.

In the village of Agios Konstantinos, 61-year-old Tasos Tzempelikos and his son used water to tackle the fire. He said residents understood that firefighting forces could not be present everywhere and were doing what they could to help.

Greek newspaper Protothema reported that a major operation was under way to prevent the fire near Veniza from reaching Megara. The newspaper estimated that more than 10,000 hectares of land may have been destroyed.

Nearly 500 Greek firefighters were deployed with vehicles, heavy machinery and aircraft, supported by emergency personnel from France and Romania.

Kefalonia settlements evacuated

Several settlements on the Ionian island of Kefalonia were evacuated overnight after a wildfire broke out near Pastra in the south of the island.

The fresh blaze raised further concerns for Greece’s tourism industry during the peak summer holiday period. Authorities have repeatedly urged residents and visitors in affected areas to follow evacuation instructions and emergency alerts.

Wildfires ease in France and Spain

Elsewhere in Europe, major wildfires in France and Spain showed signs of easing over the weekend.

French authorities reported only minor flare-ups in the Gironde department in the southwest, while a fire in the southeastern Var department did not spread overnight.

In Monfort-sur-Argens, Var resident Georges Blanc returned to his home after fleeing the fire and worked to extinguish hot embers that could cause another outbreak. He said the combined efforts of firefighters and Canadair aircraft appeared to have saved homes in the area.

Wildfires that burned through tens of thousands of hectares in central Spain were also largely under control, although firefighters continued to deal with renewed outbreaks.

A forest fire in the western province of Cáceres prompted the evacuation of around 800 people on Saturday. Residents were allowed to return on Sunday but were told to remain inside their homes because the fire was still active.

• France says wildfires under control as Greece and Spain continue battling flames
• Wildfires rage in Greece as firefighters battle blazes in France and Spain

Drought disrupts European power generation

The extreme heat has also caused severe drought and record-low water levels in major European rivers, including the Rhine and the Danube.

Hungary’s only nuclear power plant at Paks was forced to shut down as the Danube could no longer provide sufficient water to cool its four reactors. Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that the shutdown, combined with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius, would place significant pressure on the country’s electricity network and public services.

Low water levels have also disrupted shipping and tourism in Hungary and led to water-use restrictions in more than 100 cities and villages.

In Serbia, the Danube fell to its lowest level since 1985, reducing output at the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant to about 20 per cent of its normal capacity.

Tags

News Helicopter crash Greece wildfire Hungary nuclear plant