June 25, 2026, 3:45 p.mJune 25, 2026, 3:45 p.m
The accident occurred when the crew was taking on water from the lake.Image: protothema.gr
During a firefighting operation to fight a forest and bush fire in Greece, a fire service helicopter crashed into a lake in the northwest of the country.
The accident occurred when the crew wanted to collect water from the lake in order to then dump it over the fire area, as the Greek radio ERTNews reported, citing the fire department.
According to the fire department, the two crew members of the helicopter were able to reach the shore of the lake on their own. The cause of the crash was initially unclear. The helicopter was involved in the fire-fighting work in the area near the regional capital Ioannina.
Greece has significantly increased its precautions against forest fires this summer and is deploying dozens of fire-fighting aircraft and helicopters as well as more than 18,000 emergency services. According to official information, almost 48,000 hectares of forest and bushland were destroyed by fires in the summer of 2025. (sda/dpa)