Prime Minister Andy Burnham urges the public to take a wildfire emergency alert "seriously", after it was sent to millions in England and Wales
The alert warns against "any activity that could start a fire", saying there is a "very high risk of wildfires nationally" - see the full message
This is the biggest use yet of the emergency alert system, writes Chris Mason, as the first secretary of state says the choice to use it "reflects the seriousness with which the government is acting"
It comes after nineteen houses have been "fully destroyed" in Stourbridge as crews continue to tackle multiple blazes in the West Midlands
On a visit to Stourbridge earlier, the PM warned the country is like a "tinderbox" - fires have also been tackled in other parts of England and Wales
Earlier, the fire service said the situation has "vastly improved" in the West Midlands - but people have been returning to destroyed homes. Michael in Pershore describes flames spreading from tree-to-tree
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 PayneNorthfield 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/ReutersVi 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, ReutersHere is a run-down of today's key moments
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 ServicePeople 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.”
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 ImagesEarlier this afternoon, the prime minister spoke to reporters in Stourbridge.
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.
Anthony Marsh, chief executive at West Midlands Ambulance Service, has praised all the emergency services for "their professionalism and hard work" around the multiple fires on Thursday.
"Yesterday was an extremely busy day for our crews, responding to a number of serious fires across the region," he said.
"I am immensely proud of my commanders and staff for the way in which they performed their duties."
Chloe Hughes
West Midlands
Speaking about the temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, Andy Burnham told Radio 5 Live: "We've got 37 fires across England and Wales right now.
"I can't say to you that all of them are down to disposable barbecues, they're not, and I wouldn't claim that, but it's probable that some of them have been caused in that way."
"I would just say more broadly to everybody: these problems are far from over. We're going into a difficult weekend, please just think about the situation that we're in.
"Setting a fire in any outdoor setting of any kind is a risk to other people's homes. It's a risk to other people's lives. Please don't do it."
Image source, Peter Byrne/Reuters