James Bovill
in Stourbridge

Simon Marley, the chairman of Stourbridge Golf Club, said the "apocalyptic' flames on Thursday in the area left him fearing for his life.

“When the fires were raging, it was like, 'oh my God'… we had flames into the trees, and the sky went black because the smoke blocked out the sun," he told me.

“I was scared to death, to be honest but it was about protecting people first, and I'm so thankful that no one's been seriously hurt."

He said the significant damage done to trees in the area could take years to recover from.

“I'm hopeful that we'll get some usage of the golf club in the next few weeks, but it's too early to say," Marley added.

The club thanked the emergency services in a statement published on their Facebook page on Friday as well as their members,neighbours and other local golf clubs who have offered them support.

Chloe Hughes
West Midlands

Here is a timeline of how things unfolded, starting on Thursday afternoon.

• 13:30: Fire crews are called to a fire near Stourbridge Golf Course, with the blaze spread across roads and to six properties
• 13:30: In Castle Vale, paramedics are called after homes on the street were badly damaged in a fire, where a part of a roof one building had collapsed and a woman suffered serious injuries
• 16:30: West Mercia Police confirms it is supporting fire crews at fire in Worcestershire after officers were called to Three Springs Road, Pershore

• 17:46: Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service declares a major incident due to a "large fire" at Tothall Lane, Salford Priors, near Alcester.
• 17:49: Reports come in of a large fire in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent
• That evening, West Midlands Fire Service says three firefighters have been taken to hospital, as well as six members of the public treated for the effects of breathing in smoke and one child taken to hospital.

Image source, EPA/Shuttershock

Crews across the region continued to battle fires overnight, into today (Friday).

• 10:30: West Midlands Fire Service says 14 crews were still working in Stourbridge to extinguish hot spots and monitor areas at risk of re-ignition. The situation is described as having "drastically improved"
• 11:11: Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says six firefighters were taken to hospital after attending the fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, as a result of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
• 13:45: A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman are arrested on suspicion of arson, in relation to the fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent
• 14:17: A temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues is issued by the government

• 14:26: Andy Burnham gives a statement from Stourbridge, saying: "I've never seen scenes like this anywhere in Britain", and promises to help fire and rescue services with resources
• 14:38: A 55-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of arson to endanger life after a fire in Kings Norton, Birmingham
• West Midlands Fire Service confirms 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the fire in Stourbridge, with the incident covering about 500 acres

Chloe Hughes
West Midlands

Six crews are tackling a wildfire at Ley Hill Park, Holloway, Northfield, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service has said.

It asked people to avoid the area.

Image source, Edward Payne

Image source, Edward Payne

Northfield is an area south west of Birmingham, about six miles from the city centre.

Rachael Lewis
in Birmingham

A man whose mother’s home burnt down in a fire in Highters Heath, Birmingham, said she lost everything, including 100 years’ worth of family photos.

Andrew Reynolds, 42, said he watched his childhood home, along with other terraced houses on Gorleston Road, go up in flames on Thursday evening, leaving his mother Kim Matthews a “wreck”.

"My mum’s lost everything. Absolutely everything. There’s nothing save-able (sic)," he said.

Reynolds said his grandmother’s possessions were in the loft and were lost in the fire: "It’s all gone, including 100 years’ worth of photos from the family."

These photos show just how much the community in and around Stourbridge has banded together to help those affected by the fires.

You can see piles of donations stacked up and being sorted in the town hall building:

Image source, Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

Image source, Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

Image source, Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

Vi Wood runs Stourbridge charity Leslie’s Care Packages and has launched a fundraiser to collect food, clothing and small household electrical items for those affected by the fire.

“People build up years to have a decent home to pay for it and, within seconds, it’s gone. It’s just totally heartbreaking," she said

Wood described the community effort to support those affected as heartwarming:“I just sat and spoke to several people… just talking to people, to make them sure and let them know they’re not on their own.”

Image source, Reuters

Here is a run-down of today's key moments

• A man, 55, has been arrested on suspicion of arson to endanger life after the fire on Hillmeads Road in Kings Norton, Birmingham, in which a number of homes were evacuated.

• A 23-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, both from Stoke-on-Trent, have been arrested in connection with the fire in Sandyford which left six homes completely destroyed and others badly damaged.

• Elsewhere, crews are still damping down the scene in Stourbridge where Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited earlier to meet with firefighters and residents who have been evacuated from their homes.

• While he was in the market town, Burnham said the government would impose a ban on disposable barbecues until further notice, citing the pressure on fire services during the ongoing dry spell in the country.

Ethan Saunders
BBC Radio Stoke

Brian and Carol Silcock have lived on Sandy Road in Stoke-on-Trent for 35 years.

Brian said the fire had burnt everything down in their yard including his shed, fence, greenhouse and fruit plants.

He and his wife, Carol, were going to a nearby cricket club when they got a call from their neighbour about the fire and turned back.

"We saw the detached house in the entry, that was on fire, absolutely horrendous that was," he said. "Ours were next to that.

"We stopped at friends last night... we're at my sons for a few days."

He said last night was stressful for them both, and Carol's pets were still inside the house: "That smoke was absolutely horrendous, you could see it for miles."

Everyone needs to "act together" to stop further fires in Staffordshire, the fire service's chief officer said.

Glynn Luznyj said, after the blazes in Stoke-on-Trent, Park Hall Country Park, Tamworth and Cannock Chase, the whole county needed to help in order to minimise the chances of more fires.

"Our resources are extremely stretched at the moment because of the unprecedented demand we're facing," he said.

"This has resulted in numerous firefighters being taken to hospital. Five have thankfully been discharged and the sixth continues to recover."

Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

People were asked not to burn garden waste and to be responsible when having a barbecue over the next few days - keeping them away from vegetation and keeping a water source or sand nearby.

Aida Fofana
BBC News, reporting from Birmingham

Mike Davis and his family spent the night at his in-laws house after they were evacuated from theirs in Stourbridge.

"It was a hell of a scene... thick smoke and just something I've never seen before," he said.

“We just grabbed a few things and headed out.

“It was really, really scary to see.”

He described a surreal scene of thick smoke bellowing down the road and people wheeling suitcases out.

“When the police knocked on the door and asked us to leave... it hit us both really hard because we just didn't know whether we'd have a property to come back to.”

How many fires started by disposable barbecues?published at 17:00 BST

17:00 BST

By Anthony Reuben

Today’s government announcement says: "Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months."

A large wildfire on heathland in Staffordshire earlier this summer was blamed by the local fire service on a disposable barbecue, but specific figures are hard to come by.

A government response, external to a petition in 2025 calling for a ban on disposable barbecues described the number of fires caused by barbecues as “relatively low”.

The latest data from the Ministry of Housing, external suggested that in 2024, out of 45,673 "accidental fires" in England, 229 were started by barbecues.

The fires were in a wide variety of locations, ranging from parks, woods and beaches to wheelie bins, a cinema and even a hairdresser.

But the statistics did not distinguish between disposable barbecues and more permanent ones, although a government minister last year said that they wanted the data to include a separate category for disposable ones in future.

Phil Mackie
in Stourbridge

The golf course in Stourbridge continues to be dampened down by firefighters, more than a day after the huge blaze ripped through the area.

The second photo, taken down Racecourse Lane, shows the site where authorities believe the fire started:

Millie Trenholm
in Pershore

Newland’s Fish Bar in Pershore, Worcestershire, spent Thursday evening donating trays of fish and chips to people who had lost their homes in the fire.

Chris and Maria Christodoulou, who work at the business, said they wanted to do something to help the community.

“It’s our town. We love the people that are here and we felt really upset for them," Maria said.

"Pershore always comes together when someone’s in need. So what more could we do than give a helping hand.”

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Despite a small drop in temperature compared with yesterday, the Fire Risk index remains "very high" across most of England and Wales today, according to Natural England and the Met Office.

Further drops in temperature and an increased chance of rain will see the risk gradually lowered across northern England, the Midlands and much of Wales into the start of next week.

However, with conditions remaining mostly dry across southern England and an increased breeze expected, the risk remains "very high" with isolated pockets of "exceptional" on Monday and Tuesday.

At least three homes and several gardens have been destroyed by fires in Willenhall, a market town between Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Two fires broke out there on Thursday night - first on Stonehouse Avenue and then on Harry Perks Street. Residents were evacuated and taken to a rest centre.

“I’m in awe of those residents who got stuck in, rolled their sleeves up, got their hosepipes out and tried to contain the fire while they waited for the fire service to get there," said Labour councillor Simran Cheema.

“There was a bit of delay because perhaps teams had been deployed to other fires, but in that moment people just got stuck in and it was really heartwarming to see communities pulling together to try and contain the fire and offering support to those who have been affected as well.

“I’m really grateful to everyone involved and can’t thank their heroic efforts enough.”

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this afternoon, the prime minister spoke to reporters in Stourbridge.

• Andy Burnham said the UK "was a tinderbox" with 37 fires "smouldering around the country"
• The PM said a Cobra meeting has been held to coordinate the government's response and that Chancellor John Healey's working towards providing emergency financial support
• Burnham added he wanted to give the fire service "the extra resources" they need and said the government will commission firefighting planes to tackle future wildfires
• Burnham also spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live, describing what he had seen as "devastating" and urging people not to set fires outdoors: "Please don't do it"

Stick with us as we continue to bring you the latest updates.

Six people, including three firefighters, have been injured by the fire, Tuhill adds.

"Demand remains exceptionally high across West Midlands Fire Service," Tuhill says.

He adds that while the fire is under control, there are a number of hot spots, and his team will be "maintaining a presence" over the coming days, to "dampen down" those hot spots.

He also urges the public to "stay away from our incident ground".

Tuhill goes on to say the cause of the fire is not yet known.

He adds specialist fire investigators are working hard to establish the circumstances of the incident, and the fire service are working closely with the police.

In his news briefing, West Midlands Fire Service Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill says 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the fire in Stourbridge.

He says the incident "covered an area of approximately 500 acres".

Simon Tuhill, the West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer, is giving an update now - you can watch it live at the top of the page.

We'll bring you key updates.