Wildfires west of Athens breached containment lines, prompting evacuations and highway closures, as the region endures record-breaking heat and drought.
Blaze spreads despite firefighting efforts
The fire, which has burned for days, jumped containment lines after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members. A British national working for the Greek firefighting service survived the crash and was expected to be released from hospital this week after recovering well.
More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital, with over 250 rescued by boats from beaches.
Strong winds hamper crews
Strong winds returned to southern Greece, pushing flames into mountain home clusters, destroying farms and property, and closing a highway. The Athens region remains at high risk, with temperatures forecast to rise further.
Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said, "This is a difficult fire that has troubled us," adding that 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were operating in the area.
Arrests and cause
The blaze was attributed to a faulty power line from a wind farm, leading to the arrests of two contractors on charges of negligent arson. Authorities reported 33 arrests from June 29 to August 2 for starting fires, including 30 through negligence and three on suspicion of arson.
Most negligence cases involved farm work despite local bans, including prohibited welding. Crews worked from first light, using army earth movers to carve fire breaks and specialist units on foot to extinguish embers.
France also affected
In France, firefighters near Bordeaux guarded against flare-ups in a burn scar four times the size of Paris. Europe is the fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU's Copernicus climate service, leaving vegetation drier and more combustible.
