'Apocalyptic scenes' as fires hit West Midlands homes

Britain's West Midlands experienced "apocalyptic scenes" as raging fires consumed homes and land amid the UK's hottest day of the year. The extreme heat fueled blazes, forcing residents to flee and overwhelming emergency services.

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Apocalyptic scenes

In Stourbridge, a significant fire impacted six houses and spread across an estimated 40 acres of land, including woodland. West Midlands Fire Service reported facing "extreme levels of demand" due to the incident. Two casualties were treated for the effects of heat and smoke.

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We are currently facing extreme levels of demand as a service, and need your immediate help.

Elsewhere in the region, smoke from nearby wildfires led to the closure of the M6 northbound between junctions five and six, causing substantial traffic delays. Fire commanders kept the motorway closed until the blaze was fully extinguished. The situation was described by West Midlands mayor Richard Parker as "extremely worrying and fast-moving."

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If you are directly affected by an ongoing fire, please do not risk tackling it yourself. Get to a safe place and call 999.

In Warwickshire, emergency services responded to a "large fire" in Salford Priors, Stratford-Upon-Avon, which was declared a major incident. Amidst the scorching temperatures, which reached 33C in Stourbridge, care home residents were evacuated from their homes near the Stourbridge golf course. Stourbridge town hall was established as a reception center for displaced residents. Firefighters urged the public to minimize the risk of outdoor fires and to call 999 if directly affected, emphasizing not to tackle fires themselves.

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Multiple fires across our region are an extremely worrying and fast-moving situation.