Major update issued by fire service on blazes that destroyed 19 homes in UK
Two fires which destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge were started accidentally in a field where agricultural machinery was being used, West Midlands Fire Service said. Investigators from the fire service and West Midlands Police determined that farming equipment had been operating in the vicinity of the fields shortly before the fires were first reported.
TL;DR
- Two fires in Stourbridge, which destroyed 19 homes and damaged 18 others, were started accidentally.
- The fires were linked to agricultural machinery being used in fields near Racecourse Lane and Quarry Park Road.
- The fires spread across more than 500 acres on August 13, during the UK's hottest day of the year.
- West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Police investigated the cause.
- Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill confirmed the fires were not deliberate, aiming to answer questions from affected residents.
- Firefighters, police, ambulance crews, the farming community, residents, and businesses were thanked for their support.