Waterbombing aircraft resumed operations on August 3 in Greece as winds eased, joining hundreds of firefighters battling multiple wildfires that have already claimed five lives and destroyed thousands of hectares of land, authorities said. The blazes have affected regions west of Athens, including Boeotia and Attica, where firefighting crews are working on three key fronts near Psatha, Kryo Pigadi, and Kandylí.

Earlier, strong wind gusts of up to 80 km/h had grounded aerial firefighting efforts for safety reasons, complicating containment efforts. With calmer conditions, nine waterbombing planes and nine helicopters were deployed alongside approximately 450 firefighters to combat the flames covering forest, scrubland, and farmland.

The wildfires, which have persisted into a second consecutive week, have occurred amid high temperatures and dry weather, conditions that Greek authorities say contribute to a heightened risk during the peak tourist season. Attica and Boeotia remain at level four on a five-point fire danger scale, indicating a very high threat.

Since the outbreaks began, five people have lost their lives. The most recent fatalities occurred on August 2 when two Bell helicopters collided during a firefighting mission near Psatha. The crash claimed the lives of a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot, while the British pilot and Greek co-pilot of the second aircraft were injured and hospitalized. Following this incident, all Bell helicopters involved in firefighting missions have been grounded pending investigation. These helicopters had been leased from Australia’s McDermott Aviation, a company that has supported firefighting operations in Greece for seven years.

Three additional firefighters died last week battling fires in Crete and the Peloponnese. Greek authorities continue to address the difficult and uneven progress in containing the blazes, as noted by Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Kostas Katsafados.

Investigators have linked one of the fires to an electrical cable malfunction near Porto Germeno, a coastal village located about 60 km west of Athens on the Gulf of Corinth. In connection with this fire, police arrested two employees of an electricity utility company.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has described the situation as “extremely difficult,” warning that the wildfires remain a significant threat as hot and dry conditions persist. Over the past week, more than 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation programme.

Greece, like much of the Mediterranean region, has faced an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires in recent years, a trend scientists attribute in part to the effects of climate change. Authorities remain on high alert as firefighting efforts continue.