Greece wildfire in Attica‑Boeotia burns over 144,000 stremmata, kills two helicopter crew

Attica‑Boeotia wildfire helicopter collision short‑circuit ignition 144,000 stremmata burned evacuations

A massive wildfire ignited on 31 July 2026 in Boeotia, north of Agios Nikolaos, and quickly spread to western Attica. A short‑circuit in a private wind‑farm power line was identified as the ignition source, and two contractors were later arrested for negligence. Strong winds of up to 120 km/h accelerated the blaze, which by early August had burned an estimated 144 243 stremmata (about 144 000 hectares) across Boeotia and Attica, according to satellite mapping.

During firefighting operations on 2 August, two Bell AB‑214 ST helicopters collided over the Psatha area. The Danish pilot and a Greek crew member were killed, while a British pilot and a Greek translator survived with injuries and were later hospitalized. More than 1 000 residents were evacuated, over 250 rescued by boat, and more than 100 buildings—including about 100 houses in the Porto Germeno area—sustained damage. A ministerial meeting on 5 August discussed compensation for affected citizens, farmers and businesses, and the government announced temporary‑accommodation subsidies.

Firefighters, volunteers, the Greek Fire Service, the Army’s disaster‑response unit and international crews continued an all‑night effort to contain remaining hotspots and prevent re‑ignitions, especially the small “kantilakia” spots in the heavily burned zones.

Entities

Andrew Hatzins (British pilot) · Antinero fire‑suppression program · Antinero fire‑suppression system · Antinero program · Antinero system · Attica (region) · Attica Region · Attica region (Greece) · Bell AB‑214 ST helicopter · Boeotia · Boeotia (region) · Boeotia region

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The National Observatory of Athens published the updated analysis of the burned area. www.protagon.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The period covered by the analysis spans nine years, from 2018 to 2026. www.protagon.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The analysis used data from the Copernicus Rapid Mapping Service and the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). www.protagon.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Six major fires accounted for the burned area: Kineta (56,000 stremmata, 2018), Gerania Ori (71,400 stremmata, 2021), Vilia (98,200 stremmata, 2021), Derbenochoria (116,000 stremmata, 2023), Parnitha www.protagon.gr
[● 6 SOURCES] More than 480,000 stremmata have burned in Western Attica between 2018 and 2026. www.protagon.gr · www.iatronet.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] The fires destroyed forest, houses, businesses and livestock in the region. www.protagon.gr
[● 4 SOURCES] The Porto Germanos fire started on 31 July 2026 and was still burning on 2 August 2026. www.protagon.gr · www.tanea.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] A map showing the extent of the burned area was updated based on the latest data. www.protagon.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] A two‑minister meeting on 5 August 2026 discussed compensation for fire‑affected citizens, farmers and businesses. www.mononews.gr
[● 4 SOURCES] More than 800,000 stremmata of forest have burned in Attica between 2017‑2026, about 42 % of its forest cover. www.gazzetta.gr · grtimes.gr · www.messinialive.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] Firefighting operations used the Antinero system, aerial water drops, and assistance from France and Romania.
[● 2 SOURCES] Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Thessaloniki mayor Stelios Aggeloudis on 5 August 2026 at the Maximos Mansion. www.mononews.gr