|
|
|
|
|
7 August 2026
|
Several firefighters and residents hospitalised, homes damaged in West Midlands fires, UK
|
|
|
|
|
Four people have been taken to hospital and several homes damaged as fires tore through residential neighbourhoods in the West Midlands in the UK. A 16-hectare (40-acre) grassfire near a golf course in Stourbridge was one of several significant fires in the region on Thursday, 13 August 2026 – the UK’s hottest day of the year. Twelve fire engines carrying about 60 crew were sent to the scene after West Midlands fire service was alerted to the fast-moving blaze just before 13h30 on Thursday. Three firefighters and a child were taken to hospital for treatment, a fire service spokesperson said.
A further six people were treated for smoke inhalation. Some local rail services were disrupted, while roads in the area were closed due to smoke, fire and fallen trees.
Images released by the fire service showed the fire spreading to nearby woodland and homes. Six homes were damaged in the blaze and other people in the area reported power problems. The fire service spokesperson said: “This is a wildfire with several points of origin, now involving multiple houses on fire.”
Stourbridge town hall was opened to receive those forced to leave their homes, with the fire service helping to transport people who could not travel independently. Care home residents had also been evacuated, a local councillor, Andrew Southall, said.
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.
West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with. It was one of several fires being dealt with across England and Wales on Friday.
In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed
Overnight in to Saturday, four 14-year-olds from Porth, South Wales, have all been arrested on suspicion of arson and have since been bailed under investigation
In Hampshire, firefighters spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which broke out on Sunday.
Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath, off Gurney Road in the city.
Elsewhere in the West Midlands fires caused extensive damage in Warstock and Kings Norton, Birmingham on Thursday. A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
In Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday four homes in Sandyford were destroyed, with other properties damaged. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson. Six firefighters were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
In Willenhall, West Midlands, at least three homes and several gardens were destroyed in fires on Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street.
Investigators said they were working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, with police saying they were keeping an open mind. Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off and many residents who were evacuated, including the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, have not been able to return home.
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.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, visited Stourbridge earlier and described the scene as "devastating".
Overnight into Saturday there was some positive news in Stourbridge, with the West Midlands Fire Service announcing Norton Road would be reopening with some limited access to vehicles. It said firefighters were working "extremely hard" to put out the fire. He said the country was a "tinderbox" and warned the coming weekend could be difficult, while promising extra support for emergency services.
The government has also announced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, saying they had been responsible for serious fires this summer.
Prime Minister Burnham said 37 fires were currently burning across England and Wales, although not all had been caused by disposable barbecues.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to three separate wildfires on Thursday. Eight crews were called to the largest fire - a blaze off Battram Road near Ibstock - on Thursday, with about 10 hectares (24.7 acres) of land affected. Crews also attended blazes near Ratby, off Burroughs Road, and off the A14 near Swinford. A spokesperson for the service said four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries - with one attending hospital for tests before being discharged. The service added no injuries were life-threatening and all four firefighters were now recovering.
Dr Thomas Smith, an associate professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics, said it was “highly unusual” for a wildfire to destroy homes in the UK. “To see wildfires once again destroying people’s homes is a deeply concerning sign that we are experiencing more extreme fire behaviour than we have historically,” he said. “The combination of exceptional heat and prolonged dry conditions is creating fires that spread faster, burn more intensely and increasingly threaten communities.”
The Met Office gave a provisional reading of 38.1C (100.6F) on Thursday at Kew Gardens in west London. Forty locations across central and southern England recorded temperatures of 36C or above.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC News
A further six people were treated for smoke inhalation. Some local rail services were disrupted, while roads in the area were closed due to smoke, fire and fallen trees.
Images released by the fire service showed the fire spreading to nearby woodland and homes. Six homes were damaged in the blaze and other people in the area reported power problems. The fire service spokesperson said: “This is a wildfire with several points of origin, now involving multiple houses on fire.”
Stourbridge town hall was opened to receive those forced to leave their homes, with the fire service helping to transport people who could not travel independently. Care home residents had also been evacuated, a local councillor, Andrew Southall, said.
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.
West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with. It was one of several fires being dealt with across England and Wales on Friday.
In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed
Overnight in to Saturday, four 14-year-olds from Porth, South Wales, have all been arrested on suspicion of arson and have since been bailed under investigation
In Hampshire, firefighters spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which broke out on Sunday.
Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath, off Gurney Road in the city.
Elsewhere in the West Midlands fires caused extensive damage in Warstock and Kings Norton, Birmingham on Thursday. A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
In Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday four homes in Sandyford were destroyed, with other properties damaged. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson. Six firefighters were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
In Willenhall, West Midlands, at least three homes and several gardens were destroyed in fires on Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street.
Investigators said they were working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, with police saying they were keeping an open mind. Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off and many residents who were evacuated, including the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, have not been able to return home.
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.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, visited Stourbridge earlier and described the scene as "devastating".
Overnight into Saturday there was some positive news in Stourbridge, with the West Midlands Fire Service announcing Norton Road would be reopening with some limited access to vehicles. It said firefighters were working "extremely hard" to put out the fire. He said the country was a "tinderbox" and warned the coming weekend could be difficult, while promising extra support for emergency services.
The government has also announced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, saying they had been responsible for serious fires this summer.
Prime Minister Burnham said 37 fires were currently burning across England and Wales, although not all had been caused by disposable barbecues.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to three separate wildfires on Thursday. Eight crews were called to the largest fire - a blaze off Battram Road near Ibstock - on Thursday, with about 10 hectares (24.7 acres) of land affected. Crews also attended blazes near Ratby, off Burroughs Road, and off the A14 near Swinford. A spokesperson for the service said four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries - with one attending hospital for tests before being discharged. The service added no injuries were life-threatening and all four firefighters were now recovering.
Dr Thomas Smith, an associate professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics, said it was “highly unusual” for a wildfire to destroy homes in the UK. “To see wildfires once again destroying people’s homes is a deeply concerning sign that we are experiencing more extreme fire behaviour than we have historically,” he said. “The combination of exceptional heat and prolonged dry conditions is creating fires that spread faster, burn more intensely and increasingly threaten communities.”
The Met Office gave a provisional reading of 38.1C (100.6F) on Thursday at Kew Gardens in west London. Forty locations across central and southern England recorded temperatures of 36C or above.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC News
