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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Matthew Young & Ryan Fahey

Portugal wildfires: Millionaire homes engulfed by flames as Alan Shearer films inferno

Wildfires ripping through Europe amid a suffocating heatwave have hit an exclusive neighbourhood home to stars such as Alan Shearer and Duncan Bannatyne.

Temperatures are already soaring to a sweltering 115F (46C) and expected to rise even further today.

Portugal has been devastated by multiple blazes which have encroached on the exclusive neighbourhood of Quinta do Lago where properties sell for between £1million and £9.5million.

It is home to stars including Alan Shearer, John Terry, Michael Owen, Scott Parker, This Morning’s Holly and Phil, Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate, Roman Abramovich and Duncan Bannatyne.

The blistering heat has caused similar fires to break out in Spain, France, Turkey and Croatia as Europe continues to suffer under the furnace-like heat dome blanketing the continent.

Football pundit Alan Shearer shared a clip this morning of the blaze ripping through an area of forest close to where Gareth Southgate's luxury pad lies.

Duncan Bannatyne also took pictures of the blaze (@DuncanBannatyne)

He told his followers: "Bloody hell guys, this is unbelievable. I've never seen anything like this, look at it. It's just catching alight."

"This is the roundabout near Gareth Southgate's house. Jesus Christ! Someone needs to get here quick," he adds.

Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET said they expect today to be the hottest day so far of the heatwave, despite one unofficial street thermometer in Seville registering a staggering temperature of 120F.

The fires have ripped through Portugal (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Experts say the city will see official highs of 116F today, as firefighters continue to tackle blazes which have razed at least 3,500 acres in Extremadura, which neighbours Portugal.

Most of Spain was placed on high alert Wednesday, and AEMET said some regions were ‘suffocating’ - especially in the worst-affected Andalusia in the south, Extremadura in the southwest and Galicia in the northwest.

Across the border in Portugal, a number of ‘infernal’ wildfires have ravaged regions, destroying homes, businesses and golf courses.

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A resident tries to put out a fire with a tree branch as his sees the forest lands surrounding his home burning in Portugal (Getty Images)

João Anastácio, 63, said he had to shut himself inside with a wet towel over his head as the blaze raged outside his home in Ansião.

He said: “It looked like the devil. Everything around my house burned.”

One person died in a forest blaze after a body was found in a burned area in the northern region of Aveiro.

Duncan Bannatyne revealed he and his wife had to flee from his Portuguese mansion amid the blaze.

Duncan Bannatyne tweeted a clip of homes burning in the Algarve, captioning it: "Terrible day in the Algarve today." (@DuncanBannatyne)
The former Dragons Den star, 73, now lives in the region full time (@DuncanBannatyne)

The former Dragons Den star, 73, now lives full time with wife Nigora, 42, in Vale do Lobo - where a fire broke out.

Duncan took to Twitter to tell his followers that he and his family were forced to leave their home after flames spread through the resort where he lives amid a heatwave.

He wrote: “Terrible day in the Algarve today. We have survived but it was a bit scary. Yes. We had to leave our homes today but luckily very few properties were damaged.”

A worker reacts as a forest fire hits the lumber factory where he works yesterday in Albergaria a Velha, Portugal (Getty Images)

The entrepreneur also shared footage of a helicopter which scooped up water from the sea, saying: ‘They are doing a fantastic job.’

He also posted a video of the emergency services and fire brigade arriving near his home, admitting he couldn’t go back until the paths had been cleared.

He was heard telling Nigora in the clip: ‘So we can’t go home because they are blocking the road down to our house.

Pundit Alan Shearer (pictured in April) shared clips of Gareth Southgate's Portuguese villa up in flames (The FA via Getty Images)

“Maybe the fire has started again. As Nigora can be heard saying: “S**t what do we do next?” Duncan replies: “Nothing we do except stay here for the moment”.’

He then added: “Was a hell of a day in the Algarve today.”

Videos shared online showed flames edging close to swanky villas, burning palm trees and parts of golf courses.

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