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Greek authorities battled a destructive wildfire raging for a fourth consecutive day across Western Attica and Boeotia, regions west and north of Athens, on Aug. 3, 2026.
The blaze had advanced 10 kilometers in recent hours as firefighting crews worked under a shadow of tragedy following a fatal helicopter collision the previous day near Psatha, a coastal area roughly 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) west of Athens.
The wildfire in Western Attica entered its fourth day without containment, prompting the country to raise its emergency response to its highest level.
Fire crews and volunteers concentrated efforts across multiple fronts as the blaze continued to spread toward populated areas near the coastal town of Megara, west of Athens.
More than 400 firefighters and 20 forest commando units were deployed to the fire zone, supported by heavy machinery cutting firebreaks at the foothills of Mount Patera, a mountain range separating Attica from Boeotia. Ground crews worked to slow the fire's advance ahead of daylight aerial operations.
Aerial firefighting resumed with first light as water- and retardant-dropping aircraft joined ground crews battling the blaze. The renewed air campaign followed a night of urgent evacuations and came a day after two firefighting helicopters collided during an earlier suppression operation in the area.
Two Bell-type firefighting helicopters, both operating under lease, collided on August 2, 2026, during an operation to suppress the forest fire near Psatha, a coastal locality in Attica west of Athens.
Both crew members aboard were killed in the collision, which occurred amid intensive aerial firefighting efforts.
Greece's Hellenic Police were assigned to carry out a preliminary investigation into the circumstances and causes of the helicopter collision, following notification to the competent prosecutor. The crash site was cordoned off and placed under police guard as investigators began gathering evidence.
Investigators proceeded with all required preliminary inquiry procedures at the helicopter crash site near Psatha. Once the investigation concludes, the resulting case file will be forwarded to the competent prosecutorial authority for further legal proceedings, according to a police statement.
Greece's national emergency alert system, known as 112, was activated before dawn to order the urgent evacuation of settlements toward Nea Peramos, a coastal town in Western Attica. The alert came as fire fronts advanced closer to residential areas overnight.
Flames caused damage to homes in the areas of Agia Paraskevi and Kryo Pigadi, while conditions grew especially difficult in Louba, near the town of Villia in Western Attica.
Firefighting forces concentrated resources on these fronts as the fire threatened additional residential clusters.
A second fire front advanced toward Megara, a town roughly 40 kilometers west of Athens, with flames entering the settlement of Agia Skepi in the Kandili area.
The fire approached the yards of homes in the settlement, prompting continued firefighting operations in the sector.
Greece's Fire Service placed itself on general alert as authorities forecast a very high wildfire risk, categorized at the highest level, for Attica, Boeotia and the island of Evia on Aug. 3, 2026.
Officials warned conditions remained critical as firefighting operations continued on multiple fronts.
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