Wildfires raging in Stourbridge and King's Norton, Birmingham, have destroyed homes, businesses and natural environment during the latest heatwave, with residents comparing the scenes to war films. Paramedics have treated 54 patients, including 19 who were taken to hospital, as a result of wildfires across the West Midlands, the region's ambulance service said.
Homes destroyed in Stourbridge
A huge fire in Stourbridge is thought to have claimed 20 to 30 homes, according to local MP Cat Eccles, who said she believes about 20 to 30 homes have been completely destroyed in the blaze on Thursday, which left three firefighters and a child injured. Families told how they've lost everything after fearsome flames descended on them "like a tidal wave".
On Friday, dazed families gathered at the Stourbridge Golf Club waiting for news of when they can go back to their homes to survey the damage. But for some their homes were no longer there.
Residents' harrowing escapes
Grandmother-of-eight Loxie and Robin Williams, both in their 70s, told how they have lost their family home of 26 years. The couple lived on Ounty John Lane, between Stourbridge and West Hagley, and came home at 2pm after reports of the fire emerged but were not allowed to go to their house.
Robin, a former butcher, said: "It hadn't gone on fire then. It later went on fire and it's absolutely gutted, it's just such a shock. All we've got now is the clothes we are standing in, one pair of shoes, no make up, no hairdryer... At least we've got our lives."
Their daughter Faye, 45, an NHS analyst who lives two miles away, said she saw her parents' house still standing on aerial footage on the news. It was only when the family received an "intruder" alert from an alarm company that they started to get worried. She said: "We saw some footage and the house was fine and still standing, but then at ten to four we got a notification from the alarm company that the intruder alarm had gone off… that was when we think the fire started. Sky News had flown over the house at that time, and we could just see it was an inferno. We just don't know where to start now, you don't think about your driving licence, your passport, your medications, your family photos. The Town Hall have been fantastic and the NHS, but we are just waiting for news, we want to know when we can go back."
Pets perish in fires
Gina Addis said her dad and stepmum, Gordon and Pauline Addis, and sister Jo Egan, had to flee their two semi-detached Farm Cottages on Racecourse Lane after the fire rapidly spread from fields behind the homes. Gordon and Pauline managed to get their dog, Chester, out of the house, but were unable to reach her sister's two cats, Hooper and Brody, who they believe have died.
Gina Addis said: "The fire spread rapidly from the fields behind and they were lucky to escape with their lives. My dad has suffered burns to his arm and neck but has now been released from hospital. Both houses have been devastated beyond repair. After calling Farm Cottages their home for 20 years, everything is gone - their belongings, their memories and the places they felt safe. We also believe that my sister's two beloved cats have sadly perished, which has added even more heartbreak to an already devastating situation."
Man who built his home watches it burn
Tracey Jones, 55, who lives on Ounty John Lane, told how she had to flee from the flames with her miniature Schnauzer Zinny. She said: "I looked out my window and the sky was full of smoke. Richard (her husband) was off playing golf. I felt like the fire was coming towards our house. I went down the drive but the gates would not open and in my panic I could not do it manually. I could see the flames coming over from my neighbour's fence. I was really quite panicky."
Her husband, retired builder Richard, aged 60, who built their home, told how he chucked his golf clubs in the car and raced to help his wife. He said: "I was playing golf at 1.30pm with the chairman and we got to the top of the hill and we could see a fire over the road, just in the field. We played two holes and the fire was at the hedge of the golf club. It was like the ellipse from the night before, the sun was blacked out by the smoke. Tracey my wife phoned me saying 'our next door neighbour's garden is on fire, come now!' I ran and got in the car and drove down the road. I had to go down Racecourse Lane and there were cars turning around. It was emotional. I was tooting the horns to get them out of the way. Our gates wouldn't open so we had a step ladder and I climbed in. I unlocked the gates and just opened them manually and we got the dog out. The flames were in our next door neighbour's garden, they were 15ft high flames. The fire brigade were there and said; 'There's an elderly lady in one of these houses, which one is it?' We said; 'It's that one'. Just then she started coming out with her zimmerframe. They also said who is in the other house and it was our neighbour Richard and they were banging on his door. I rang him and fortunately he answered straight away and he was on a cruise in the Mediterranean." The couple took their elderly neighbour to safety.
Richard added: "I am in a bit of a state of shock today. It's unbelievable." He said he felt it was amazing his home survived.
'The flames were like a tidal wave'
Stourbridge Golf Course chairman raised the alarm and head green keeper Tom Barnett told how they all had to run for their lives as the flames erupted all around them. He said: "We had to run for it at one point. It was like a war film with ash and smoke and the intense heat. It was harrowing. The speed of the flames were like a tidal wave. It was unbearable. You could have used it as a war zone in a film. The wind really got up. The trees were alight and the noise. The heat was so intense and you could hear the roar of the fire, as it was just taking trees. It's still smoking now."
Simon Markey, 60, the chairman, who has been helping the local community, told the Mirror "I've just found out my home is okay. The fire stopped 50 yards from my garden. It was horrific." Describing the fire, he said: "It was like Armageddon. I was playing golf and the fire appeared to start in the field opposite but the wind was blowing hard towards the golf course. I called the office at 1.30pm to report it. Within ten minutes the flames had taken some of the bottom of the golf course. We had to evacuate about 30 to 40 players. The fire then changed direction. It was horrific, the flames were 60 to 70 feet high. We went down to try and get some equipment out of the way but it was too dangerous. You could feel the heat but it was the smoke which was the big issue. The embers were coming down and setting things off."
Firefighters continue to tackle flames
A firefighter who appeared on the golf course to dampen down areas of scorched ground which had started smoking, told us: "I've been a firefighter for 19 years and I have never known a year like it, our crews are working non-stop." Her West Midlands Fire and Rescue Commander had earlier arrived to speak to families still covered in soot, showing them videos of the area. They crowded around him as they went through the footage to see whose homes had survived.
Pritpal Boyal, 48, who slept in his car all night, said: "It's the not knowing if your house is still there! It's not nice. It's crazy. I have been sleeping in my car. But the important thing is everyone is out and safe."
Residents about 15 miles away in King's Norton, Birmingham said they had been seeing wildfires pretty much every day. Colin Tyndall, 32, told how two days ago he lost everything after waste ground behind his home burst into flames. Speaking as he showed us his destroyed belongings, all charred and scattered over the garden, he said: "Four weeks ago I had an electrical fire so moved all my belongings into the shed. Then that was burnt down. We are getting fires every other day now. I've got six kids and I'm scared to go to sleep because of the fire risk round here." He told how on Thursday his neighbours on a nearby street then saw their homes vanish completely, after flames took hold. Colin continued: "One man has dementia and it's all gone. He's lived there 43 years. The flames were atrocious. We feel scared, stranded and alone here."
