ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters battling blazes in Greece are dealing also with tragedy. Two air force pilots died when their plane crashed in northern Greece. CNN's Anthee Carassava has our story.</s>ANTHEE CARASSAVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A plane being used to fight fires across parts of Greece crashed, killing both people on board and sparking another wildfire. The tragic irony, as some Greeks call it, happened during the third day of a massive operation trying to contain wildfires in Pilio in northern Greece. The crash occurred as the two-man crew was finishing their second pass over a ravine engulfed in flames. Thick billowing smoke may have blocked the pilots' Visibility. They attempted to pull the plane higher, but touched a tree, and spun out of control, and crashed into this hill. The tragedy sent shockwaves through the country. Greek military troops raced to the site to recover the bodies. The Canadair plane was one of 17 aircraft battling blazes in the region. But after three days of intense efforts, the Pilion fire remains out of control, as are four other wildfires burning across central and southern Greece. The Peloponnesus region of Corinthia is reportedly the hardest- hit area, where the fires have done the most damage. So far, the fires have burned vineyards, olive groves, crops, and homes, leaving some residents angry and upset. "It's a total catastrophe," says this woman, as she points to her burnt home. A short distance away, teams of firefighters from Israel and Greek rangers work side by side to douse the flames. But the firefighters say strong winds continue to hurt their operation. The greatest fear, say the exhausted rangers, is a fresh flare-up of small fires that could quickly burn large areas. Anthee Carassava, for CNN, Athens.
Plane Crashes While Fighting Fires in Greece