Updated: Sunday, July 16 - 3 AM Home --> News --> Story Firefighting Plane Crashes in Greece LISA ORKIN Associated Press Writer ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A Greek firefighting plane crashed Saturday, killing two air force pilots as they battled wildfires raging across Greece for a third day. Officials said four big forest fires continued to burn around the country, four were abating, six were under control and two were extinguished. Just north of Greece in Bulgaria, two people died after suffering severe burns and five were injured in fighting wildfires in the province of Haskovo. A state of emergency was in force in the province. Turkey's Forestry Minister Nami Cagan said Friday that close to 60 fires destroyed some 7,163 acres of brush and pine forest since a heat wave started last week. In Greece, the majority of the fires were around Corinth _ 50 miles southwest of the capital _ where a state of emergency was declared. Those fires have destroyed an undetermined amount of forest and burned more than 50 homes. Some 5,000 firefighters fought the blazes with help from foreign aircraft sent Friday by Greece. Israel, Germany, the Czech Republic and Russia. At daybreak, a Canadair CL-215 aircraft slammed into a mountain on the east coast of Greece, killing both air force pilots. The fire that the pilots were fighting was 200 miles northeast of Athens and was among those abating. ``This tragic incident reflects the heroism and the altruism of all the firefighting forces,�� said Premier Costas Simitis. Firefighters worked overnight to extinguish the fires burning around the country and began using aircraft shortly after daybreak. Greece uses about 10 helicopters and 30 airplanes for firefighting, most of them Canadair seaplanes which replenish their water supply to fight fires by skimming over the water while a trapdoor opens to take in the water. Many firefighters were close to exhaustion after having battled more than 1,100 blazes since the beginning of July. The government said about 26,000 soldiers were patrolling Greece's forests to spot any new outbreaks of fires. Rain was forecast for much of Greece starting Monday, but officials said conditions would remain hazardous over the weekend. Recent Greece Seeks Foreign Aid for Wildfires Firefighters Continue Colo. Battle