'Raining ash for hours' - 10 left injured after 'apocalyptic' wildfires rage across West Midlands

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! 'Raining ash for hours' - 10 left injured after 'apocalyptic' wildfires rage across West Midlands Witnesses said the flames 'jumped from house to house' while residents grabbed what they could and fled Don't Miss Most Read Latest Four people have been left in hospital and a major incident has been declared after "apocalyptic" fires broke out across the West Midlands. There were five main blazes on Thursday: A grassfire in Stourbridge, house fires in Sandyford in Stoke-on-Trent and Castle Vale near Birmingham, a fire in Pershore in Worcestershire, and a large fire in Saford Priors in Stratford-upon-Avon. Across Britain, at least 10 people were injured in the flames - which also struck south Wales, Norfolk and the New Forest. The West Midlands Fire Service fielded thousands of 999 calls, with more than 100 of its firefighters battling blazes across the region. The Stourbridge fire was compared to a horror movie, and left a child and three firefighters in hospital, with six more treated for smoke inhalation. In Stoke, homes and gardens were hit by the fires, with plumes of black smoke seen billowing out over the Sandyford area. Around Castle Vale, thick smoke blowing across the M6 from nearby wildfires left the northbound road shut down between junction five and six. In Warwickshire, a major incident was declared as crews fought a "large fire" in Salford Priors - which was considered under control by Thursday evening. West Midlands chief fire officer Simon Tuhill described the wildfires as "one of the most signficant" incidents the region's fire service has ever had to deal with, warning that "the devastation is extensive". He said: "We understand the impact that will have on the residents and the local community, we want to reassure everyone we will do everything we can to minimise that and of course, get people back to their homes. A major fire has broken out in Stourbridge |PA The scenes in Stourbridge where two casualties have been confirmed so far by the fire service | X / @M4TTNOODLES"However, it is the case that emergency service presence here will likely run into days." Late on Thursday night, the Prime Minister addressed the "awful" situation on the ground. "Awful to see homes and communities hit by fires across the country tonight as the heatwave continues," Andy Burnham said. Mr Burnham added he would be “speaking to emergency service on the ground” and paid tribute to firefighters working through “incredibly difficult conditions” to bring the wildfires under control. The West Midlands Fire Service earlier said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” due to the Stourbridge "horror movie" fire. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS A burnt-out property on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge |PA Fire crews working to put out the blaze in Stourbridge |PA An evacuation mission was launched, with locals urged to leave their homes amid the "extensive" blaze. Several homes were damaged in the inferno, with smouldering fields being dampened down by worried homeowners carrying watering cans and buckets. It is understood the fire began as a grass fire, following the intensely hot weather today. Elsewhere, around 60 firefighters were at the scene near Stourbridge golf course after being alerted to a blaze at 1.30pm. One local said: "The fire came within feet of the other side of the road. It has been terrible for those who have had their property destroyed but it was terrifying for everyone." "Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours," another told Sky News, describing the smoke as "very, very strong". Witnesses described how the flames "jumped from house to house" while residents grabbed what they could and ran for it. Stourbridge marked the centre of the fires - and its residents banded together to dampen the fields around their homes with buckets of water and watering cans as the flames approached. Refuge centres were set up at the town hall and at St Michael's Church in Norton for locals who left their homes. Severn Trent warned of disruption to the water supply last night as fire services needed to use hydrants, saying its customers may experience lower water pressure and discoloured water. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter