Helicopter crews tackle blazes in Greece 

TWO Erickson S-64 Aircrane Helitankers are among the many helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fighting the fires ravaging Greece this summer. The photo shows one dropping water on the Hill of Kronos next to the site of ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, in south-west Greece.

Erickson command pilot, Michael Skroch flew the mission with Greek pilot Panos Kapitanopolis. "High winds were pushing this fire through the dry brush at a fairly high rate speed," says Mike.

"As directed by the  [Hellenic Fire Brigade] Incident Commander, we pounded the flanks of the fire and worked very hard towards directing it away from further damage to homes within the [Olympic] Village area."
The country's worst fires in living memory have killed at least 64 people and countless livestock. Farms, olive groves, forests and homes have been destroyed and one estimate puts the damage at more than half a billion euros.