Multiple Fires Sweep West Midlands Amid Extreme Heat

Firefighters are continuing to tackle multiple blazes across the West Midlands after a series of fires broke out on Thursday, the region's hottest day of the year. A total of 54 patients were treated by paramedics and 19 people were taken to hospital. In Stourbridge, a large grass fire near Stourbridge Golf Club was declared a major incident. More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene, where 19 houses were fully destroyed and 18 others were damaged. Chief fire officer Simon Tuhill described the conditions as some of the most challenging in his 28 years of service.

Other fires were reported in Worcestershire, where 30 properties were evacuated in Pershore, and in Warwickshire, where a major incident was declared in Salford Priors. In Birmingham, fires in the Castle Vale, Kings Norton, and Druids Heath areas caused significant damage to homes and resulted in injuries. In Stoke on Trent, a grass fire damaged four houses and several gardens. Staffordshire Police have arrested a 23 year old man and a 24 year old woman on suspicion of arson in connection with the Stoke on Trent blaze. Separately, a man was arrested on suspicion of arson to endanger life in the Kings Norton area of Birmingham.

Emergency services continue to damp down affected areas and extinguish hotspots. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated he is in touch with local leaders as crews work to bring the wildfires under control.