What we know so far about the West Midlands fires

Firefighters successful the West Midlands are continuing to tackle blazes for a 2nd time aft aggregate fires swept crossed the region.

As the UK recorded its hottest time of the twelvemonth connected Thursday, residents fled their homes arsenic fires dispersed done adust writer and tore done houses.

A full of 54 patients were treated by paramedics and 19 were taken to hospital.

Here is what we cognize astir the fires.

On Thursday, occurrence crews responded to aggregate blazes crossed the West Midlands that led to thousands of 999 calls.

In Stourbridge just earlier 13:30 BST, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) were alerted to a ample writer occurrence adjacent Stourbridge Golf Club successful the Racecourse Lane area.

More than a 100 firefighters fought to tackle the flames arsenic they dispersed crossed roads and destroyed and damaged homes, forcing residents to evacuate.

Declared a large incident, 3 members of occurrence work unit were taken to hospital, portion six members of the nationalist were treated for fume inhalation and a kid was taken to hospital.

WMFS main occurrence serviceman Simon Tuhill described the conditions arsenic "some of the astir challenging" helium has seen successful 28 years of service, and residents person been warned they could beryllium distant from their homes for days.

As of Friday morning, firefighters were continuing to damp down affected areas and extinguish hotspots.

LIVE: Firefighters tackle blazes successful West Midlands for 2nd time arsenic crews accidental 'progress being made'

In neighbouring Worcestershire, a fig of homes were damaged and 30 properties evacuated successful the marketplace municipality of Pershore, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said. One idiosyncratic was treated for fume inhalation and astir 200 properties were besides near without power.

Firefighters attended multiples fires successful Stoke-on-Trent after fences, gardens and garages were alight. It is understood to person dispersed from a writer country adjacent to the A50, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Elsewhere, a large incidental was declared successful Warwickshire, wherever occurrence crews responded to a ample occurrence successful Salford Priors, adjacent Stratford-upon-Avon.

In the Castle Vale country of Birmingham, homes connected the thoroughfare were severely damaged successful a fire, causing portion of a extortion connected 1 gathering to collapse. A pistillate suffered superior injuries, portion a antheral was besides taken to hospital.

In the Druids Heath area of the city, a blaze besides broke out, with video showing flames tearing done a enactment of houses. Nearby successful Highters Heath, aggregate terraced properties caught fire.

Harrowing stories person emerged from radical who had their homes destroyed by fire.

Andrew Reynolds, whose mother's location burnt down successful Highters Heath country of Birmingham, said his household had mislaid everything, including 100 years' worthy of household photos.

He described the country arsenic an "inferno" arsenic the blaze "ripped through" the properties.

Reynolds, 42, said: "Everyone's gutted, grieving, radical person mislaid truthful overmuch and no-one tin spell successful to spot if they tin salvage anything."

Jane Baxter, whose location backs straight connected Stourbridge Golf Club, was evacuated from her home.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The constabulary knocked our doorway and said that everyone had to beryllium evacuated rapidly due to the fact that they thought the occurrence was changing directions.

"So, it was virtually drawback what you request and get out.

"So, get retired we did with the feline and distant to spell to our son's house."

Farmers successful the country tried to usage tractors to marque a firebreak to halt the dispersed of the blaze.

Daniel Pardoe, of Iverley Park Farm, said: "There was astir 8 of america successful full with assorted tractors and sprayers."

A full of 54 radical were treated by paramedics, with 19 admitted to hospital, pursuing the fires, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

On Thursday the UK experienced it hottest time of the twelvemonth and 5th hottest time connected record, arsenic the heatwave gripped overmuch of the country.

In the West Midlands, the highest maximum somesthesia was 38C successful Pershore, Worcestershire, according to Met Office figures.

Speaking astir the Stourbridge blaze, WMFS main occurrence serviceman Tuhill said the "tinder adust conditions" successful the UK and West Midlands had meant that "the occurrence has dispersed rapidly".

WMFS urged the nationalist to:

Dr Kerryn Little - a wildfire researcher astatine the University of Birmingham - says the Midlands has been deed severely due to the fact that of vegetation successful municipality areas.

She added: "There's a precocious magnitude of radical moving around, resulting successful ignitions.

"When that meets with ample areas of continuous vegetation that is built up, that tin pb to wildfires."

A full of 1,017 wildfires person been recorded successful England and Wales this year, according to information shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which matches past year's record.

The UK is facing progressively utmost conditions specified arsenic heatwaves, drought and wildfires fueled by clime change.

Elsewhere successful England, a ample fig of fires are burning successful Dorset and Wiltshire, wherever a large incidental has been declared. The fires see a blaze connected grassland near the celebrated Westbury White Horse successful Bratton, Wiltshire.

In Hampshire, firefighters are continuing to tackle a wildfire successful the New Forest for a sixth day. An country astir the size of 230 shot pitches has been affected. The occurrence work has said the perimeter of the blaze has been brought nether control.

In Cambridgeshire, a wildfire has engulfed fractional of a quality reserve called Holme Fen, adjacent Peterborough. It has burned done swathes of the 660-acre (270-hectare) site.

In Norfolk, a large incidental was declared arsenic firefighters tackled a blaze successful Mousehold Heath successful Norwich, and different successful Sipdham, adjacent Dereham. The incidental has since been stood down, with the occurrence work saying its resources were successful a much unchangeable information by Thursday evening.

In Wales, a large incidental has been declared adjacent Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. Fire crews person been tackling the flames since Wednesday afternoon, arsenic the wildfire continues to impact astir 250 hectares of land.

Elsewhere, occurrence services said crews were attending 30 incidents successful southbound Wales connected Thursday, with a "significant fig of resources" astatine the country astatine Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Green Party person Zack Polanski called connected the authorities to bash more.

In a video posted connected the party's X relationship connected Thursday, helium said: "Across the country, wildfires are tearing done our countryside."

"These are the consequences of a clime situation that is happening close now."

In a abstracted post, helium criticised the premier curate for "talking lone astir disposable barbecues" aft convening an exigency gathering of the Cobra committee connected Wednesday.

On Thursday, Burnham said it was "awful to spot homes and communities deed by fires crossed the country" arsenic the heatwave continues.

"My thoughts are with everyone affected, peculiarly those who person been injured oregon forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who person been taken to hospital," the premier curate said successful a societal media post.