Europe's wildfires update: two helicopters collide while battling fire in Greece

Key Points:

• Two helicopters collided while fighting a wildfire near Athens, Greece, killing two crew members, highlighting the dangers faced amid extreme wildfire conditions fueled by strong winds reaching up to 100 km/h.
• Greece is battling multiple large wildfires near Athens, Cephalonia, and other regions, with over 12,000 hectares destroyed and several villages evacuated; the fires are exacerbated by extreme weather and have pushed firefighting resources to their limits.
• France has contained its largest wildfire since 1949 in the Bordeaux region, where 42,000 hectares burned and 240 homes were destroyed, though some fires in southeastern France remain under close watch due to strong winds.
• Spain continues to manage multiple wildfires after lifting its national state of emergency, with recent flare-ups in Zamora, León, Cáceres, and Castellón; authorities suspect deliberate ignition in some cases, and over 186,000 hectares have burned this year.
• Across the EU, wildfires have consumed approximately 485,000 hectares so far in 2026, reflecting the severe impact of climate change-driven extreme heat and drought conditions in the Mediterranean region.