A wave of fires is sweeping across parts of the country during one of the hottest days of the year, with emergency services in the West Midlands declaring a major incident after a fierce blaze spread to at least six homes.
The disruption has also hit the road network, with the northbound M6 shut between Junction 5 and Junction 6 because of fires nearby, leaving drivers facing a significant build-up of traffic on the motorway.
Fire crews are responding to serious incidents across the region, including a major incident in Salford Priors, near Stratford-upon-Avon, a fire in Castle Vale, Birmingham, where a woman has been seriously injured, and a large grass fire in Stourbridge that has spread into around half a dozen properties.
The M6 closure was put in place because of what officials described as an “off-network fire” — a blaze not on the motorway itself, but close enough for smoke to create dangerous driving conditions.
In Stourbridge, dramatic scenes have unfolded as thick black smoke rises from homes and surrounding land, with around 40 acres — including fields and woodland — believed to have been engulfed by flames.
Authorities said two people have been affected by heat and smoke, while dozens of residents have been moved from their homes as a precaution amid the fast-moving fire.
Approximately 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines are at the scene after crews were called shortly before 1.30pm to reports of fires breaking out in several locations around Ounty John Lane, Racecourse Lane and Stourbridge Road.
Footage shared online shows people walking through dense smoke on nearby streets, while the town hall has been opened as a rest centre for residents forced to leave their homes.
Several homes can be seen up in flames and with clouds of black smoke billowing from the properties as part of a ‘major incident’ in Stourbridge
Thick plumes of black smoke can be seen billowing from the properties
Around 60 firefighters are believed to be tackling the devastating fire on the residential area, which is situated next to a golf course in Stourbridge
Aerial image captures the fire in Stourbridge, West Midlands
Thick plumes of smoke covered the skyline above Stourbridge
Crowds of people can bee seen in videos posted online wandering through the thick clouds of smoke on streets nearby
Those who have not yet been forced to flee their homes have reportedly been told wet their faces and be prepared to evacuate.
West Midlands Fire Service, who are facing ‘extreme levels of demand’, told locals ‘please do whatever you can to stay safe and minimise the risk of outdoor fires’.
‘If you are directly affected by an ongoing fire, please DO NOT risk tackling it yourself. Get to a safe place and call 999. We will do our very best to get help to you as soon as we can,’ it said.
‘Please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch,’ they added, with residents elsewhere being urged to keep doors and windows closed.
On the other side of Birmingham, in Castle Vale, paramedics were forced to tend to a woman who suffered serious injuries after a fire ripped through a residential street.
Part of the roof in one building collapsed, and the woman was taken to hospital alongside another man.
Nearby, Gilbertstone Avenue in Solihull has reportedly been closed between A45 Coventry Road and Clay Lane thanks to a fire.
Other areas of the wider Midlands have been affected, with a major incident declared over a ‘large fire’ in Salford Priors, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
At least 10 fire engines are believed to be at the scene, as well as three ambulances and police cars.
Worcester News reported that farmers are aiding in the efforts to tackle the inferno by bringing bowsers – mobile tanks that can attached to a trailer or mounted to a tractor – filled with water.
Earlier today, a ’50ft’ fire ripped through at least six gardens in Tamworth, Staffordshire, with a woman taken to hospital for burns.
Footage captured the blaze destroying sheds and hedges as it tore across back gardens this morning.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and a probe is now underway, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed.
The casualty’s injuries are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing.
Elsewhere in the UK, 60 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze in Mitcham, London, with a reported hectare-wide grass fire spreading through Commonside East this afternoon.
A fire has ripped through a residential area in Tamworth on Thursday morning, with one woman taken to hospital for burns
The Staffordshire town saw six gardens including sheds and hedges blazing and required firefighters to extinguish the raging fire
Sheds were set alight in the blaze
One woman was taken to hospital for burns following the blaze in Tamworth
Kirsty Harper, 39, runs a doggie day care from her home in the Tamworth area and says she had ‘a house full of dogs’ when the blaze began.
Speaking through Sell Us Your Story, she said: ‘I noticed a layer of smoke coming over my garden and I could smell smoke – I looked out to the back garden and I could see all of this smoke.
‘I could see a lady shouting “your shed’s on fire” but I didn’t know which property it was coming from.
‘I went out of the front of my property and saw two other neighbours.
‘One neighbour said she was going to call 999 and I went with another neighbour to warn old people that live in the street.
‘Then I knocked on the property where the garden was directly on fire and as I was knocking on the door I could see the flames coming through their hedges at the bottom of the garden.
‘They came to the door and I said “your garden’s on fire!”
‘They didn’t realise because they were painting in the living room.’
Her partner, Richard, said the flames were ‘double the size of our two storey house – so you are talking around 50ft flames’.
He added: ‘Myself and Kirsty thought the emergency services did an amazing job and need recognition.’
Kirsty rushed to her mother’s house, which is nearby, to evacuate her dogs as her mother was out.
But, around ten minutes after she left, she said: ‘Her garden was completely on fire, she lost two sheds in her garden.’
Earlier in the day, fires were also spotted tearing through fields in Lower Howsell, Malvern, and Pershore.
In south London, nearby roads were forced to close as firefighters braved the grass-fire that had spread to a reported hectare of land in Commonside East just after 13.45.
By 14.51, the fire was under control but bus routes were diverted and a backlog of traffic was reported to have built up in the area.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson told London Now: ‘If you’re planning to enjoy the weather over the coming days either in a park or other open spaces, please don’t take a disposable BBQ with you!
‘As this incident sadly proves they pose a significant fire risk – along with poorly disposed of cigarettes. The heat from a disposable BBQ can be retained for many hours, even after we think we have put out a barbecue safely.
‘Smoking materials need to be discarded of properly and either dispose of your rubbish in the appropriate bins or take it home with you if none are available.’
The blaze comes hours after a suspected wildfire swept through a Welsh village, destroying six homes.
Around 20 people were evacuated after the huge blaze broke out and quickly spread yesterday afternoon with residents of six bungalows in Newbridge, South Wales, forced to flee and spend the night in a leisure centre.
Neighbours living in the former mining village had gathered to watch Wednesday’s eclipse when the blaze broke out and rushed to douse the flames with garden hoses and buckets of water before the fire service arrived.
At least five homes were completely destroyed and several homes were evacuated after being gutted by the blaze, leaving more than 20 people forced to seek refuge in a nearby leisure centre or put up in a hotel.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by officials.
Caerphilly councillor Gary Johnson said: ‘Everyone was getting ready yesterday to witness the eclipse, and for this to happen last night was a total shock.
‘It is just dreadful, and heartbreaking for all the families involved.
‘The whole community is strong, and we will rally around them like we always do.’
Residents of six bungalows in Newbridge, South Wales, were forced to flee the wildfire
Around 20 people were evacuated after the huge blaze broke out in Newbridge yesterday
Drone pictures show the huge scale of the damage caused to homes and cars in Newbridge
Julie Nicholls, 74, was evacuated from her home by officials and had to wait anxiously to see if the fire would reach it.
She said: ‘We could hear all the banging and the flames going up,’ she said.
‘The next thing I know the police were knocking on my door and we had to go.
‘We were sat in the leisure centre and there were a few people that had actually lost their homes.
‘They were being so brave, I mean to lose everything.
‘I felt absolute fear, you know, you don’t expect to open your door and see a fire next to you.’
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it received a call-out on Wednesday at around 4pm and deployed a number of resources to the scene of the fire, including 12 fire appliances, two water bowsers, and an aerial ladder platform.
They urged residents in the area to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke from the fire and added that further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
Newbridge RFC said they were ‘absolutely heartbroken’ to have seen the horrendous fire on Wednesday evening, adding that their hearts go out to everyone affected by ‘such a frightening and horrendous event’.
The club said their clubhouse would be open in the morning to offer hot and cold drinks along with changing and shower facilities for people affected.
A gofundme has been launched with has so far raised more than £2,000 to help the families.
