UK Firefighters Out in Force to Tackle Fires on Hottest Day of the Year
About 60 firefighters battled blazes that damaged homes, evacuated residents and closed the M6 as temperatures reached 38C, officials said.
- Multiple wildfires tore through the West Midlands on Thursday, August 13, 2026, damaging homes and forcing evacuations as the West Midlands Fire Service reported 'extreme levels of demand' battling the blazes.
- Scorching temperatures reaching 38C triggered the emergency, marking Britain's fifth heat wave this year, while the National Fire Chiefs Council reported 1,017 wildfires recorded across England and Wales.
- Near Stourbridge, about 60 firefighters battled a blaze at a golf course where one child and three firefighters were hospitalized; smoke forced the M6 motorway closure between junctions five and six.
- West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the situation as 'extremely worrying and fast-moving,' while Severn Trent Water warned customers in Kidsgrove may experience lower water pressure due to emergency hydrant usage.
- Councillor Andrew Tromans of Dudley Borough Council called the scenes in Norton and Stourbridge 'apocalyptic,' warning they foreshadow worse impacts and urging an emergency council meeting on climate change protection.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Evening Standard
Huge wildfire in West Midlands destroys 19 homes on UK’s hottest day of year
Crews are still working to tackle the blaze in Stourbridge.
European countries battle multiple wildfires as record heat grips the continent
Firefighters across France and in central England struggled against multiple fires Friday as a new wave of record-breaking heat baked a swath of Europe, their task further complicated by exceptionally parched landscapes.
Huge West Midlands fires cause ‘extensive’ devastation as many forced to flee their homes
Multiple people were hospitalised as fires broke out across the region in scenes described as ‘apocalyptic’ Source link : https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stourbridge-west-midlands-fires-uk-weather-b3032872.html Author : Rich Amofa and Josh Payne Publish date : 2026-08-13 22:44:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
LONDON (AP) — Firefighters battled multiple blazes in central England on Thursday after Britain recorded its hottest day of the year, as an intense heatwave continues to grip Europe.
Herald Bulletin
UK firefighters out in force to tackle fires on hottest day of the year
Firefighters are tackling multiple fires in central England on a day that the U.K. recorded its hottest day of the year as an intense stretch of hot weather continued to grip Europe. Thursday's fire outbreak across the West Midlands, which…
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