What we know so far about the West Midlands fires

Firefighters across the West Midlands remained engaged in efforts to control numerous fires for a second consecutive day following a series of blazes that swept through the region. On Thursday, the UK experienced its hottest day of the year, prompting residents to evacuate their homes as fires rapidly spread through dry grass and residential areas. Emergency services responded with urgency, treating 54 patients, with 19 of them admitted to hospital. The scale and intensity of the situation drew significant emergency response attention.

The fires primarily broke out in several locations, including a notable large grass fire near Stourbridge Golf Club in the Racecourse Lane area of Stourbridge. Alerted just before 13:30 BST, West Midlands Fire Service mobilized over a hundred firefighters who worked to control flames that engulfed roads, causing considerable destruction and damage to homes, forcing multiple evacuations. The incident was officially declared a major incident, and three fire personnel required hospital treatment. Additionally, six members of the public suffered smoke inhalation, and a child was admitted to hospital. WMFS chief fire officer Simon Tuhill characterized the conditions as some of the most demanding he has encountered in his 28 years of service, warning evacuees they might be displaced for several days. By Friday morning, firefighters were still focusing on cooling down affected areas and extinguishing remaining hotspots.

Beyond Stourbridge, the fires had a broad impact across the region. In Worcestershire, particularly the market town of Pershore, around 30 homes were evacuated, and some properties sustained damage, with one person treated for smoke inhalation and approximately 200 properties losing power. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service reported several fires in Stoke-on-Trent, where gardens, fences, and garages caught fire, with the initial ignition believed to have come from grasslands near the A50. Warwickshire declared a major incident following a large fire in Salford Priors, close to Stratford-upon-Avon. In Birmingham, a serious fire in Castle Vale damaged homes severely, causing part of a roof to collapse and seriously injuring a woman, while another man

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