Greece is contending with widespread wildfires that have killed two pilots after a collision between two firefighting helicopters. The national fire and rescue service reported that approximately 220 agro-forest fires have broken out across the country since July 27.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the danger faced by those battling the flames. "It takes a special courage to fly towards the flames so that others can be safe. As we continue to battle these fires side by side, Europe grieves with Greece and Denmark," she stated.
Elsewhere in Europe, France is experiencing what President Emmanuel Macron described as its most severe wildfire situation since World War II. In England, firefighters in Suffolk declared an emergency incident last week, tackling a blaze that covered an area equivalent to at least 210 soccer pitches.
Much of the continent is currently under a heat wave, exacerbating the wildfire risk and raising concerns that fires already contained could reignite and spread further.