Several homes are ablaze in Britain and two people are receiving treatment as firefighters attempt to contain a grass fire in the west midlands region.
The local fire service was alerted to an extensive grass fire near Stourbridge golf course just before 1.30pm on Thursday.
About 60 firefighters are responding to the blaze covering about 16 hectares.
“Some local rail services have been stopped for safety reasons,” a fire service spokesperson said.
READ MORE
Images released by the fire service show the fire spreading into nearby woodland and homes.
The fire service spokesperson said two people had been affected by heat and smoke, but did not give details about their condition.
Six homes were directly affected by the blaze, and others in the area reported power issues.
Stourbridge town hall has been set up to receive those fleeing their homes.
“Transport is also being arranged for those who can’t make their own way,” west midlands fire service said in a social media post.
“If you must drive, take extra care if you are driving, avoid areas of dense smoke and please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch.”
Care home residents have also been evacuated as a result of the fire, the local councillor Andrew Southall said.
West Midlands Fire Service dealt with “thousands of 999 calls” as more than 100 firefighters battled blazes across the region, chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said.
He told a press conference on Thursday evening: “This is a large and complex incident that has occurred on one of the hottest days of the year.
“Our fire control team have been dealing with thousands of 999 calls, whilst coordinating attendance at other operational incidents across the West Midlands.
“The tinder-dry conditions that the country and the west midlands are facing at the moment has meant that the fire has spread rapidly, despite the hundred-plus firefighters’ best efforts who are on scene and in attendance.
“Rest assured, they are doing everything they can to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.”
The UK recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with the Met Office giving a provisional reading of 38.1 degrees at Kew Gardens in west London.
Forty locations across central and southern England recorded temperatures of 36 degrees or higher. – Agencies
