National wildfire alert issued as fires destroy 19 homes in Stourbridge

A national government alert has been issued in England and Wales after a series of fires spread across multiple areas, including a major blaze in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The warning was issued on Friday evening as firefighters continued to deal with several active incidents. In Stourbridge, 19 homes were destroyed and a further 18 were damaged after fire spread rapidly through grass and woodland on Thursday before reaching residential streets.

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The alert urged people not to light anything that could spark a wildfire, and the prime minister said the warning should be taken seriously. He said it had been triggered at the request of firefighters. West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge fire was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with.

The Stourbridge blaze was one of several major incidents being tackled across England and Wales. In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads were closed. In Hampshire, firefighters were on a sixth day of work tackling a wildfire in the New Forest that began on Sunday.

In Norfolk, fire crews dealt with 16 emergencies on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath in Norwich. Other fires caused damage in the West Midlands, including in Warstock and Kings Norton in Birmingham, where a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. In Stoke-on-Trent, four homes in Sandyford were destroyed and other properties were damaged, with two people arrested on suspicion of arson.

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Six firefighters were taken to hospital because of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. In Willenhall, at least three homes and several gardens were destroyed on Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street. The scale of the fires has raised concern about the wider risk of wildfire conditions across the country.

The prime minister visited Stourbridge and described the scene as devastating, saying the country was a tinderbox. Fire services have linked the alert to the need for caution as dry conditions and fast-moving flames continue to affect both open land and built-up areas. Investigators are still working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, and police said they were keeping an open mind.

Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off, and many evacuated residents have not yet been able to return home. It remains unclear how long the wider fire response will continue, and further updates are expected as inquiries into the causes of the blazes continue.

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