A large grassfire that spread into a residential area near Stourbridge in the West Midlands on Thursday afternoon has burned several homes and sent four people to hospital, including three firefighters and a child, with more than 60 firefighters responding to the blaze.
The fire service was alerted to the extensive grassfire near Stourbridge golf course just before 1.30pm on Thursday. The blaze covered about 16 hectares (40 acres), according to West Midlands fire service.
Firefighters and residents treated
Four people were taken to hospital: three firefighters and a child, according to a fire service spokesperson. A further six people were treated for smoke inhalation. The spokesperson said: “This is a wildfire with several points of origin, now involving multiple houses on fire.”
Six homes were directly affected by the blaze, and other residents in the area reported power problems. Some local rail services were disrupted, and roads were closed due to smoke, fire, and fallen trees.
Evacuations and community response
Stourbridge town hall was opened to receive those forced to leave their homes. West Midlands fire service said in a social media post: “Transport is also being arranged for those who can’t make their own way. If you must drive, take extra care, avoid areas of dense smoke and please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch.”
Andrew Southall, a local councillor, said care home residents had also been evacuated as a result of the fire.
Broader wildfire impact across UK
Fire crews across the UK were battling multiple blazes on Thursday evening. Homes were destroyed by a fire in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, and a woman was seriously injured when fire tore through homes in Castle Vale near Birmingham, the BBC reported. Northbound traffic on the M6 near Birmingham was temporarily closed due to smoke from a fire near the motorway, causing severe congestion and delays of more than two hours.
In Warwickshire, the county’s fire and rescue service declared a major incident as crews fought a “large fire” in Salford Priors, Stratford-upon-Avon. That blaze was considered under control by Thursday evening.
Record heat and ongoing risks
The UK recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with the Met Office giving a provisional reading of 38.1C (100.6F) at Kew Gardens in west London. Forty locations across central and southern England recorded temperatures of 36C or above, heightening the risk of further fires.
The immediate impact of the Stourbridge fire includes the displacement of residents, injuries to firefighters and a child, and continued disruption to transport and power in the area.
