Multiple homes on fire in Stourbridge on hottest day of year

A major wildfire has ripped through homes in Stourbridge in the West Midlands on the hottest day of the year so far. Terrifying images showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the homes in the town after the blaze broke out near a golf course and spread to the properties. More than 60 firefighters are tackling the flames and West Midlands Fire Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” due to the inferno, which it described as an “extensive grass fire”. The fire service said six houses were affected by the blaze it estimates is raging across about 40 acres of land. It also warned flames were spreading “across roads in places”, and has urged people to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors closed. The inferno, affecting a number of locations around Racecourse Lane and Stourbridge Road, is one of several that are raging across the West Midlands today. Blazes have also been reported in the Druids Heath and King’s Norton areas of Birmingham and a major incident has also been declared because of a large fire in Stratford-on-Avon, in Warwickshire. The blazes led to thousands of 999 calls, according to chief fire officer of West Midlands Fire Service, Simon Tuhill.Mr Tuhill said a blaze in Stourbridge left “extensive” devastation and was “one of the most significant” incidents the region’s fire service has ever dealt with. Phillip Jones, who lives with his family close to the fire in Stourbridge, told Sky News that he has locked all his windows at home.Jones said after smelling smoke about 1pm it “just got thicker and thicker” and he “found it quite hard to breath”. He said the family are preparing to evacuate in case they need to, saying: “We have the golf course and then the cricket club between us and the fire. So, at the moment, we have grab bags by the door, ready to leave if we have to leave, but it hasn’t come to that yet, thankfully for us.” An aerial view of the fire in Stourbridge (Photo: West Midlands Fire Service/SWNS) “There’s a lot of concern but there’s a lot of rallying around as well, lots of offering, you know, clothes, food, places to shelter, the local church has opened up,” he said. Jones believes drought and dry conditions in the area in recent months have left it vulnerable to blazes breaking out. He added: “It’s very dry. Everywhere in the country is very dry. It’s very much the same here. We’ve not had any rain, I don’t think for almost two months of any significant amount. Everything’s just waiting to go up.” Steve Wright, the Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “We are very concerned to see wildfires raging in Stourbridge, South Wales and elsewhere around the UK. “Firefighters are bravely tackling every blaze trying to keep the public and all our communities safe.” Smoke rising from a fire in Stourbridge (Photo: Jacob King/PA) Councillor Andrew Tromans, who represents Wollaston and Stourbridge Town on Dudley Council, described the scene in Stourbridge as “apocalyptic” and suggested climate change was a factor in the blaze breaking out. In a Facebook post, he said: “The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.” He added: “It is my view, and it has been for a while, that Dudley councillors must have an emergency meeting about we protect our borough from the impacts of climate change.” Police, fire crews and ambulances have rushed to the scene of wildfires in Salford Prior. Smoke from the blazes forced the closure of the M6 northbound between junctions five and six – causing more than two hours of delays. Explaining the closure, National Highways West Midlands said in a statement: “The fire keeps igniting. Fire commander at the scene not happy for M6 to be reopened until fire fully extinguished.” West Midlands Fire Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” due to the blaze in Stourbridge (Photo: Sky News) The motorway later reopened but motorists continued to face six miles of congestion. Residents across the West Midlands are being urged to stay indoors and close all doors and windows. In a statement West Midlands Fire Service said: “Crews are on site managing the situations. Emergency services are advising all residents living nearby to keep their windows and doors firmly closed to avoid smoke inhalation. “People are also being asked to avoid both areas where possible to allow emergency vehicles clear access to the scenes.” Drone footage shared by the West Midlands Fire Service included a heat map of the flames in the area as smoke billowed across the town. Stourbridge town hall has been set up as a centre for people who have had to flee their homes. Andy Burnham has pledged to support fire and rescue services in the region with any additional resources they need, the county’s mayor Richard Parker told Sky News. Fire crews battling flames on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge (Photo: Matthew Cooper/PA) The Prime Minister later confirmed he was in contact with Parker, writing in a social media post he would “be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response”. “My thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have been injured or forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who have been taken to hospital,” he added. Angela Rayner echoed those sentiments in her own social media update, saying the Government was “working closely” with local emergency services in Stourbridge. The Housing Secretary said she was being “regularly updated” on developments. In Worcestershire, which neighbours Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said a number of homes had been damaged and 30 properties were evacuated in Pershore following a large fire on Lancelott Court. In Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, another blaze hit “a small number of properties and gardens” in the Goldenhill area of the city. Around 40 firefighters worked to bring the fire under control, with crews eventually prevailing around 9pm. Severn Trent Water water supply across the West Midlands would be disrupted as a result of the wildfires. The company said customers in Kidsgrove, near Stoke-on-Trent, may experience lower pressure and discoloured water because firefighters needed to use hydrants. The record 38.1C was recorded at Kew Gardens in London today the Met Office said. The new high is the second time this year the country has seen temperatures reach 38C and surpasses the previous hottest day of 2026 when 38C was recorded in the late June heatwave.