Water helicopters aid in Greece wildfires

PSATHA, Greece (NBC, KYMA) - Water bombing helicopters flew over Greece's Psatha Tuesday morning, dropping water as the battle to contain wildfires in the region continues.

Two crew members on a firefighting helicopter crashed and died on Sunday near the seaside community of Psatha, about 25 miles from Athens, after a mid-air brush with a second helicopter, whose two crew survived.

More than 400 firefighters and 21 aircraft were deployed near the communities of kandili and agia skepi as plumes of thick black smoke and red flames engulfed lush pine forests.

Heavy machinery was being used to carve fire breaks to prevent the wildfire reaching homes, officials said.

Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after a period of record-breaking heatwaves and little rain conditions that scientists say have been exacerbated by a fast changing climate.

France and Spain have been particularly hard hit, although huge blazes there abated over the weekend, providing some respite.