Athens, Shawwal 02, 1436, July 18, 2015, SPA --French planes provided through European Union emergency assistance mechanisms were due Saturday in Greece to help local authorities combat wildfires blazing near Athens and on the Peloponnesian peninsula, dpa reported. Greek firefighters had struggled Friday near the Greek capital to contain the fires, which were intensified by strong winds and high temperatures. Smoke billowed through Athens' Ilioupoli neighbourhood, and helicopters circled overhead. Greek broadcaster Skai TV showed residents trying to control the fires' spread with buckets of water. In Lakonia on the southern Greek peninsula of Peloponnese, fires prompted evacuations of at least two villages. A Greek firefighting plane was forced to make an emergency landing, though the crew was uninjured. In Paris, the French Interior Ministry confirmed that it was sending aircraft in an immediate response to a Greek request for assistance under the EU's civil protection mechanism. Two Canadair firefighting planes and a reconnaissance plane to coordinate water drops and ground efforts were due to arrive Saturday afternoon. "The EU stands by Greece to help in the response to this natural disaster. We have responded quickly and in full solidarity to the call for assistance," said Christos Stylianides, EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management. --SPA 10:16 LOCAL TIME 07:16 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w