Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided mid-air west of Athens on August 2 while battling a wildfire that has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced evacuations in several areas. At least one helicopter burst into flames and crashed to the ground.
The incident occurred near Psatha, where two Bell helicopters, hired by the fire department and carrying a total of four crew members, were attempting to extinguish a nearby blaze. Television images captured one helicopter exploding and plunging into a sea of fire after its rotors struck another. Search-and-rescue teams were deployed to locate the pilots.
On the same day, Greek firefighters struggled to contain another fire at Porto Germeno on the Corinthian Gulf. The flames crossed the mountains and reached a military firing range, causing leftover ammunition to detonate. Nearly 500 firefighters were deployed, supplemented by reinforcements from France and Romania.
In the village of Agios Konstantinos, residents took matters into their own hands to prevent the fire from spreading. Tasos Tzempelikos, 61, and his son poured water on the flames, saying: “The fire has been burning since last night; they certainly can't have forces everywhere. We are doing everything we can.”
Meanwhile, on the island of Kefalonia, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a fire in the Pastra area on the evening of August 1, according to the ANA news agency.
Wildfires are also spreading across other parts of Europe. In France, the Gironde and Var fires have been reduced to small flare-ups, while in central Spain, fires that consumed tens of thousands of hectares over the past week are largely under control. In Caceres province, about 800 residents were allowed to return home but remained restricted in their movements as the fire still smolders.
In Hungary, the country's only nuclear power plant was forced to shut down for the first time in four decades due to record-low water levels in the Danube River. Prime Minister Peter Magyar warned of five critical days ahead, with more than 100 cities and villages facing water restrictions.
In Serbia, drought has dropped the Danube to historic lows, severely reducing hydroelectric power generation. The two largest plants, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, are operating at only 20% and 30% capacity, respectively. These plants provide about 18% of Serbia's total electricity. The Danube's water level in Serbia has fallen to its lowest since 1985, and meteorologists report no significant rainfall in the past five to six weeks.
