As many of you might already know, my family owns a villa in Portugal. In an idyllic part of the Algarve, pretty untouched by tourists, surrounded by rolling hillside and protected cork trees.

The summers there can get up into the 40s easily, but it mostly stays in the high 30s. This year is no exception, as the sun blazes down, drying out the ground and plant life.

Many fires have broken out across Spain and Portugal, and the firefighters from both countries are working flat out trying to get them under control. Italy and Greece have also sent planes, helicopters and firemen into the stricken countries to help.

The Algarve is on fire.

Yesterday morning, my mum phoned me at work and told me that ash was raining down out of the sky over the villa, filling up the swimming pool and turning the water black. The sky was black with smoke, and she could see the fires in the distance about 10 kilometres away (6 miles!). Was the wind blowing it towards her? I was getting rather worried, till later that day when my dad said the wind was blowing it away from the villa. I thought that would be the end of my worry. How wrong I was.

My dad went out for dinner last night at our friends' house. When he got home he told me that my mum had phoned and said that the fire had reached the Sanitorium which is less than a mile away, so she was evacuating immediately.

Just after writing this entry I got a call from my dad, telling me that the villa is safe! Apparently the fire just went all the way around it!! Someone must've been looking out for us.

Now the fire's passed, I don't have to worry any more :)

More on the story from BBC News.