Firefighters in Greece and the United States battle major wildfires across Europe and North America.
Hundreds of firefighters are currently battling major wildfires across Europe and parts of the United States. In Greece, extreme winds known as Meltemi have intensified fires in the Western Attica region near Athens, forcing water-bombing aircraft to take to the skies. Two firefighters, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service official, died following a helicopter collision in the Western Athens region on Sunday. Simultaneously, wildfires have caused significant damage in France and Spain, burning hundreds of thousands of acres and forcing the largest evacuation in French history. In the United States, fires have impacted the northern part of Spokane, Washington, and other regions. Residents like Miriam Sim, 76, have navigated the burned remains of her neighborhood in Spokane. The fires are being managed by a combination of water-dropping planes, helicopters, and ground crews who are working to mitigate the heatwave-driven flames.