Far North family in path of blazes in Portugal

Kathy and Rui Valdares, with Zack and Jamie, outside their house in Figueira.

The fires have all but consumed everything in their path.

Kathy and Rui Valdares could only watch from afar as a huge fire in Portugal neared their village, not knowing if Rui's parents were safe.

Kathy, daughter of Motutangi farming couple Norm and Sylvia Bryan, her husband and their sons Zack and Jamie lived in the isolated country village of Figueira until returning to New Zealand four years ago. Rui's parents, Fernandaq and Eduardo Valdares, often stay at their former home as a country get-away.

The fires have all but consumed everything in their path.

The Valdares were there when the fire started. It has so far incinerated up to 30,000ha and taken more than 60 lives. Kathy understood the fire had claimed 11 of the 30 residents in the neighbouring village.

With flames engulfing the surrounding countryside, Rui's parents found their escape route blocked. They had tried what is now being referred to as the Road of Death, but, unable to see through the smoke and tired of driving into stone walls, had no choice but to backtrack, wait it out and hope for the best.

Two days later they were able to make a run for it and return to Lisbon.

Kathy and Rui don't know if their house is still standing, but believed that around 70 per cent of the dwellings in Figueira had been destroyed.

The village had a population of about 35 people, all aged 72 to 75, and not entitled to government pensions. They were quite happy with their lot, but now they had lost everything - plants, crops, goats, chickens etc - that they had relied on to survive.

"Twelve of my neighbours hid in a water tank for six hours while the fire was raging, pouring water over each other's heads to stay alive," she said.

"They had nothing in the first place. Now they have even less."