Fires in Stourbridge which destroyed 19 homes started accidentally

Two fires that destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge were started accidentally in fields where farming machinery was in use, according to West Midlands Fire Service.

Investigators established farming equipment was being used in the vicinity of fields immediately before the fires were first reported.

The first fire started in a field near Racecourse Lane at about 13:27 BST on 13 August, while a second began shortly afterwards in a field near Quarry Park Road.

Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said so many people had been affected the service wanted to confirm both fires were not started deliberately. They were accidental, he said.

He added: “I know that many are still struggling to comprehend the scale of damage and personal loss.

“I’m also acutely aware that this information will not bring those back homes, livelihoods or cherished memories.

He added he was proud of the fire service response, plus that of colleagues in the police, ambulance and local farming community.

“The response to this incident showed the very best of Stourbridge and the wider West Midlands.”

As well as the properties that were completely destroyed, a further 18 were damaged as the flames spread rapidly through grass and woodland.

The incident in Stourbridge happened on the UK’s hottest day of the year as temperatures peaked at 38.1C in some parts of the country, the Met Office said.

Several other fires were reported in the West Midlands on the same day as a total of 54 patients were treated by paramedics and 19 were taken to hospital.