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2 killed when firefighting helicopters collide near Athens as Europe's wildfire emergency rages
PBS • • world
Key Points:
- Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided midair while combating a wildfire west of Athens, resulting in the deaths of two crew members, one Greek and one Danish, with two others surviving.
- Strong winds fueled the wildfire near Athens, complicating firefighting efforts and prompting evacuations, while similar large-scale fires in France and Spain have forced hundreds of thousands to flee, highlighting Europe's escalating wildfire crisis.
- France's Gironde megafire remains contained within its perimeter but continues to burn across 420 square kilometers, with nearly 3,000 firefighters deployed, while a separate blaze in Provence is stabilized but uncontained.
- Spain's major wildfires have stopped advancing, with emergency crews guarding perimeters and evacuees beginning to return home, as the country faces a record wildfire season exacerbated by climate change.
- Europe is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, intensified by rapid warming and climate change, which has doubled the likelihood of extreme fire-weather conditions, leading to increased evacuations and significant destruction.
