West Midlands wildfire still burning as homes destroyed and hundreds evacuated

Fast-moving wildfires have destroyed homes in the West Midlands on the hottest day of 2026 so far, forcing hundreds of people to leave and sending a child and three firefighters to hospital.

Temperatures reached 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London, but the most serious scenes were in the bone-dry West Midlands. Blazes encroached on towns including Stourbridge and Stoke-on-Trent and engulfed a number of homes. Flames destroyed possessions and homes.

In Stourbridge, a large grass fire crossed roads and spread into residential streets. Firefighters said multiple houses were set on fire. Hundreds of households were told to evacuate, leaving with what they could carry. Residents described being nervous as the fire continued to move and showed no sign of calming. One resident, Michael, said he had decided to stay for now because embers could spread the fire, and he wanted to try to protect his property rather than leave it to fate.

West Midlands Fire Service said the incident was still ongoing. It said the fire covered a huge area and crews expected to be at the scene for several days. The service described it as one of the most complex and significant incidents in its history. At one stage, 100 firefighters were at the Stourbridge scene alone, and the service said it had received thousands of 999 calls across the region. Even a fire engine became vulnerable to the rapid spread of the flames at one point.

A child and three firefighters in Stourbridge were taken to hospital. Six other people needed treatment for the effects of smoke. The fire service said it did not yet know how the fire started or how many homes had been damaged or destroyed. Hundreds of families remained out of their homes with no indication of when they would return. For some, their homes and possessions had been lost.

The heatwave also put pressure on services beyond the fireground. At Birmingham Women's Hospital, staff worked in temperatures not much lower than outside. Midwives managed without air conditioning while wearing full personal protective equipment. The Royal College of Nursing said some NHS staff had been working in what it called inhumane conditions, with one nurse collapsing from dehydration, and called for an urgent programme to heat-proof hospitals.

On the River Mole in Surrey, teams rescued hundreds of fish from drying habitat, moving them to tanks and then to safer waters. An aqua park in Hertfordshire was busy, but its campsite was almost empty, with operators saying the extreme heat was too intense for many holidaymakers. Separately, investigators were expected to examine whether heat played a part in a serious train derailment earlier in the day, after passengers were accounted for and the injured treated.