Wildfires gut homes across West Midlands as PM Burnham links blazes to climate change

Fires sweep the West Midlands

Multiple wildfires erupted across the West Midlands on Thursday 13 August, Britain's hottest day of the year so far, as weeks of high temperatures and scant rainfall left nearly three-quarters of England in drought. The blazes generated thousands of 999 calls and prompted Prime Minister Andy Burnham to visit Stourbridge on Friday, where he called in the military, announced a ban on disposable barbecues, and said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services.

In Stourbridge, a grass fire reported just before 13:30 BST near Stourbridge Golf Club in the Racecourse Lane area spread across roads and into residential streets. More than 100 firefighters fought the blaze, which the West Midlands Fire Service described as "one of the most significant" incidents it has ever dealt with. The fire service said 19 houses were completely destroyed and 18 others damaged. Dudley Council said between 250 and 300 people were moved from their homes.

WMFS chief fire officer Simon Tuhill described the conditions as "some of the most challenging" he has seen in 28 years of service. Residents were warned they could be away from their homes for days.

Casualties and medical response

Casualty figures varied between sources. The region's ambulance service said on Friday morning that 54 people had been treated by paramedics, including 19 taken to hospital. A later report from the ambulance service covering the West Midlands, including Stourbridge and Staffordshire, said 68 people were treated on Thursday, 25 of whom were hospitalised.

In Stourbridge specifically, three firefighters and a child were taken to hospital, while six members of the public were treated for smoke inhalation. One firefighter was hospitalised and five others suffered minor injuries. In Staffordshire, six firefighters were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

Blazes across the region

Fires were reported across a wide area. In Stoke-on-Trent, fences, gardens and garages caught fire after a blaze spread from a grass area near the A50. A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were arrested on Friday morning on suspicion of arson over a grass fire at around 4:15pm Thursday at the back of Maureen Avenue, Goldenhill, which damaged four homes. Detective Inspector Emma Kempson of Staffordshire Police said inquiries had "progressed at pace."

In Pershore, Worcestershire, homes were damaged and 30 properties evacuated, with about 200 properties left without power. A major incident was declared in Warwickshire for a large fire in Salford Priors, near Stratford-upon-Avon. In Birmingham, homes were badly damaged in Castle Vale, where a roof partially collapsed and a woman suffered serious injuries. Fires also tore through properties in the Druids Heath and Highters Heath areas.

Andrew Reynolds, 42, said his mother's home in Highters Heath was destroyed after 34 years.

He described the scene as an "inferno" that destroyed 100 years of family photos and his grandmother's possessions stored in the loft.

Prime minister's response

Burnham described Britain as "a tinderbox" with 37 blazes around the country on Friday. He warned against lighting fires outdoors and linked the fires to climate change.

“I've never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted, smouldering.”

He said Britain needed to "face up to the changing climate" and accelerate its transition to clean energy. The UK has set targets of zero-carbon electricity by 2030 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said England and Wales had been struck by 1,017 wildfires this year, matching last year's total, itself a record, with at least 458 in July alone.