Crash of plane fighting Greek island wildfire kills both pilots as Italian blaze claims 2 lives

By MICHAEL VARAKLAS and DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

RHODES, Greece (AP) — A firefighting plane has crashed in southern Greece, killing both crew members, as authorities are battling fires across the country amid a return of heat wave temperatures. The crash occurred on the island of Evia and was aired in a state television broadcast that showed the low-flying aircraft disappearing into a canyon before a fireball was seen moments later. Summer wildfires blamed on climate change have also struck other Mediterranean countries, leaving at least 34 people dead in Algeria, and a fire in southern Italy Tuesday claimed two lives. A third successive heat has struck Greece, amid more evacuations from fires that have raged out of control for days.