Child among four injured in West Midlands fires as ‘apocalyptic’ blaze torches homes
- A child and three firefighters have been hospitalised after a major grass fire that affected six houses and 40 acres of land near Stourbridge golf course on the UK’s hottest day of the year.
- Around 60 firefighters are battling the blaze, which forced the evacuation of local residents and care home occupants, while Stourbridge Town Hall was opened as an emergency rescue centre.
- Local councillor Andrew Tromans described the scenes as apocalyptic and called for an urgent emergency council meeting to address the severe local impacts of climate change.
- Wildfires caused widespread regional disruption, forcing the closure of the M6 northbound motorway due to thick smoke and leading to a major incident declaration in Salford Priors.
- Severn Trent Water warned that fire services using hydrants to battle the blazes could cause temporary low water pressure and discolouration for residents across the West Midlands.
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