A Norwich man has told of his dramatic escape from a wildfire that killed 62 people in central Portugal.

Daniel Starling, 56, jumped in his car and raced away as the flames bore down during Saturday's blaze.

He came across a family of four elderly people and stopped to pick them up.

Mr Starling said: 'We stopped at one point, because we did not know where to go, because there were flames everywhere.

'But I just carried on the only way that I knew. [It was] just flames over the car and the family and me screaming.'

Mr Starling told the Associated Press that he had to speed around trees that had fallen on the road and had to go off the road.

He finally came across a policeman at a junction, where he stopped.

Mr Starling said: 'The family got out and they were kissing the car.'

He said the house he has been building since 2009 in the region is now burned out.

• Have you been caught up in the wildfire in Portugal? Email luke.powell@archant.co.uk or call 01603 772684