Major fires force evacuations in West Midlands on hottest day

Major fires tore through parts of the West Midlands on Thursday, August 13, 2026, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and prompting emergency services to declare major incidents as they battled blazes fueled by the UK's hottest day of the year. The fires caused apocalyptic scenes, with flames spreading across roads and threatening properties in Stourbridge and a separate wildfire in Warwickshire.

West Midlands Fire Service reported facing extreme levels of demand due to a large fire in the Stourbridge area. Crews were first alerted to the blaze near Stourbridge golf course at approximately 1:30 p.m. The fire service said around 60 firefighters were tackling the extensive grass fire, which was estimated to involve about 40 acres of land, including a wood. Flames were reported to be spreading across roads in places, and drone footage showed a heat map of the fire threatening to engulf homes as smoke billowed across the town.

The fire affected multiple locations around Ounty John Lane, Racecourse Lane, and Stourbridge Road. Six houses were impacted by the blaze. Two casualties were reported as being affected by heat and smoke. Care home residents were evacuated alongside...