Thousands of 999 calls were made across the West Midlands as huge blazes caused “apocalyptic scenes” on the UK’s hottest day of the year, a fire chief has said.
Chief fire officer Simon Tuhill, of West Midlands Fire Service, said the Prime Minister has been kept updated on developments across the region. He described one huge blaze in Stourbridge, which forced some people to flee after it started tearing through homes, as leaving “extensive” devastation – adding that it was “one of the most significant” incidents the region’s fire service has ever dealt with.
Six treated and two hospitalised
Nathan Hudson, from West Midlands Ambulance Service, said six people were treated by crews at the scene in the town, with two taken to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation. Andy Burnham has pledged to support fire and rescue services in the region with any additional resources they need, the county’s mayor Richard Parker told Sky News.
Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for housing, communities and local government, said: “We are working closely with the local Fire and Rescue Service and partners on the ground in Stourbridge and are being regularly updated. I would like to thank the brave emergency services, and my thoughts are with people who have been forced to leave their homes.”
Heat and weather
The Met Office said 38.1C was recorded at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday – the second time this year the country has seen temperatures reach 38C. Temperatures are set to cool slightly on Friday, with highs of 34C expected in the south east. But little rain is forecast for the Midlands and many parts of the country over the weekend.
The West Midlands was subject to an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Thursday before multiple fires were reported, which was set to expire just before midnight.
Investigation and response
Speaking at the scene of the Stourbridge blaze, Mr Tuhill said more than 100 firefighters were sent to the scene, saying the fire is believed to have started in the grassland before spreading to homes nearby. An investigation into how the fire in Stourbridge started will now begin, the chief fire officer said.
“Of course, we will carry out a joint investigation with police colleagues and our specialist fire investigation team. They will be here on scene as soon as they can to start investigating the possible cause,” Mr Tuhill told a late night press conference. Before the press conference, Mr Parker described the “multiple fires across our region” as an “extremely worrying and fast-moving situation”.
Fires across the region
In neighbouring Worcestershire, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said a number of homes had been damaged and 30 properties were evacuated in Pershore following a large fire on Lancelott Court. The fire service said one person was treated for smoke inhalation following the incident at about 4.30pm, and about 200 homes in the area were left without power.
In Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, another blaze hit “a small number of properties and gardens” in the Goldenhill area of the city. Severn Trent Water warned of disruption to water supply across the West Midlands as a result of the wildfires. The company said customers in Kidsgrove, near Stoke-on-Trent, may experience lower pressure and discoloured water because firefighters needed to use hydrants.
In Warwickshire, the county’s fire and rescue service said it was responding to a “large fire” in Salford Priors, Stratford-upon-Avon, which has been declared a major incident. Police, fire crews and ambulances are at the scene of the wildfire.
Elsewhere in the region, smoke from nearby wildfires forced the closure of the M6 northbound between junctions five and six – causing more than two hours of delays. Explaining the closure, National Highways West Midlands said in a statement: “The fire keeps igniting. Fire commander at the scene not happy for M6 to be reopened until fire fully extinguished.” The motorway later reopened but motorists continued to face six miles of congestion.
Wollaston & Stourbridge Town councillor Andrew Southall said care home residents were evacuated alongside others as a result of the fire near Stourbridge golf course. Resident Phillip Jones, who lives close to where the fire in Stourbridge took hold, told Sky News: “It was quite hard to breathe, actually, when we left the car, getting to the home.” He added: “We have the golf course and then the cricket club between us and the fire. So, at the moment, we have grab bags by the door, ready to leave if we have to leave, but it hasn’t come to that yet, thankfully for us.”
Footage on social media showed multiple buildings on fire and huge plumes of smoke coming from a nearby field. The fire service said flames were spreading “across roads in places”, with people urged to stay indoors. Drone footage published by the force showed a heat map of flames threatening to engulf homes in the area as smoke billowed across the town.
Stourbridge town hall has been set up as a rescue centre for people who have had to flee their homes. Councillor Andrew Tromans, who represents Wollaston and Stourbridge Town on Dudley Borough Council, described the scene of the fire in Stourbridge as “apocalyptic”. In a statement on Facebook, he said: “The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.” He added: “It is my view, and it has been for a while, that Dudley councillors must have an emergency meeting about we protect our borough from the impacts of climate change.”
