"It is a very preoccupying situation," said Jose Amarelinho, deputy mayor of Aljezur, the town close to where the villages are located.

He said the flames were advancing on a front of more than five kilometers (three miles) as about 300 firefighters backed by water-dropping aircraft fought to extinguish the blaze.

As the danger approached, rescue workers escorted residents away from the villages of Cerca, Moinho do Bispo, Marria Serrao and Monte Velho. Elderly residents were being sheltered in the fire department headquarters in Aljezur.

TERRA.WIRE