Image source, Reuters

West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed it treated 54 casualties at eight different fires across the region, on Thursday. Nineteen people were taken to hospital for treatment.

In the West Midlands:

14:35 - Paramedics were called to a fire on Norton Road in Stourbridge where six people were treated, two of whom, a woman and a boy, were transported to Russell’s Hall Hospital with the effects of smoke inhalation.

16:41 - Crews attended a garden fire near to the junction of Thorne Road and Dingle Lane in Willenhall where six patients were treated before being discharged at the scene.

17:02 - In Oldbury, a man was treated near Brandhall Golf Course for the effects of smoke inhalation before he was discharged at the scene.

17:24 - Paramedics were sent to Prince of Wales Lane where two patients needed to be taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and two further patients were discharged at the scene.

18:50 - A fire on Papyrus Way, Hodge Hill saw four ambulances attend where nine patients in total were taken to hospital after being treated for the effects of smoke inhalation. Four more were discharged at the scene.

In Staffordshire:

17:12 - The service was called to the junction of Maureen Avenue and Sandy Road in Stoke on Trent where it assessed 11 patients, six of whom were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with the effects of smoke inhalation, whilst five others were discharged at the scene.

In Worcestershire:

15:04 - In Evesham, paramedics attended a on School Road where seven patients were assessed but none required hospital treatment.

16:23 - Crews attended Three Springs Road in Pershore where six patients in total were treated and all were later discharged at the scene.

This aerial image shows a row of houses which were destroyed by fire beside a railway line in Stourbridge.

Several properties were reduced to charred ruins in a blaze that took hold there on Thursday afternoon.

The fire service says it believes the fire started from nearby grassland and spread to the homes.

The blazes across the West Midlands are the latest in a series of severe fires that have affected England and Wales, including one in the New Forest that continues to burn after more than five days.

James Pearson
in Pershore

Michael Ruff returned to his house on Lancelott Court in Pershore this morning and found it had been severely damaged by the fire.

A large portion of the roof was missing, the windows were blown out and all the family’s belongings were burnt or destroyed.

Ruff, a builder, stayed at his brother’s house last night along with his partner Caela and their three teenage sons.

He said he remembered seeing embers flying everywhere and heard a series of explosions when the fire broke out.

His family were safe, Ruff added, and they were all relieved nobody was hurt.

“On a different day it might have been different,” he said.

“It’s just the way the wind was blowing. From tree-to-tree, it took just seconds and then they were gone.”

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.

One is still in hospital on Friday morning, according to the service.

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat presenter

It's eerily quiet in Stourbridge this morning, compared to last night when the sound of crackling and burning filled the air, alongside fire engine and police sirens.

A single police car is blocking Norton Road at the junction with Osmaston Road, a good few hundred metres from where the worst of the fires were blazing on Thursday afternoon and evening.

Empty water bottles and discarded food packaging are also visible at the side of the road, a reminder of the help locals provided to firefighters last night.

Every now and again someone wanders up to the police cordon to chat to the officers stood there to see if or when they can head home, but it looks like they're going to have to wait a while longer.

Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles has said she believes about "20 to 30 homes have been completely destroyed" by yesterday's fire.

She said the figure was still yet to be confirmed but that is what she had heard while helping at Stourbridge Town Hall.

"There were hundreds of people evacuated and there were many homes affected by the smoke not just the ones directly impacted by fire," she said.

"Yesterday, I was at the Town Hall, which is being used a rest centre and evacuation centre and I spoke to so many people who have lost everything.

"You just don't have the words to know what to say to them other than to try and support them the best you can."

Eccles added: "It's really hard to find the words other than to say it's absolutely devastating, shocking and really upsetting.

"What I would say is how amazing it has been to see our community come together and the amazing work that the emergency services has done yesterday and last night to keep people safe."

West Midlands Fire Service said 14 crews were still working in Stourbridge to extinguish hot spots and monitor areas at risk of re-ignition.

Richard Stanton, assistant chief fire officer, said his thoughts remained with those affected.

“We know a number of families have seen their homes destroyed or seriously damaged," he added.

Crews worked throughout the night and into the morning to control the devastating fire, with Stanton describing the situation as “vastly improved" from Thursday afternoon.

Image source, PA Media

Millie Trenholm
in Pershore

Alex Hustwayte, station commander at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed the fire at Pershore was now out.

He said crews worked overnight after being first called to reports of a shed fire on Thursday afternoon.

The blaze had spread across approximately 10 to 12 back gardens, which were “quite heavily damaged”, he added.

“The crews are here just checking for hotspots, making sure the fire hasn’t spread to any other gardens and reassuring residents.”

Hustwayte said some of the people evacuated from their homes had returned to collect some possessions.

“We’re certainly in a busy period at the moment,” he added. “The area is particularly dry, we haven’t had a lot of rainfall and our crews are being stretched.

“But, just to reassure the public, we have adequate resources and we can respond to all emergencies.”

A Stourbridge farmer whose land bordered the area that went up in flames said he was just four feet away from the blaze as he and seven others attempted to create a fire breaker with their tractors.

Daniel Pardoe, of Iverley Park Farm, was at the scene from 14:00 on Thursday using his self-propelled sprayer to treat hotspots.

"It isn't our land, it's a neighbouring farm but there was about eight of us in total with various tractors and sprayers.

"I was ferrying water to try and treat hotspots. I was all over the place, basically, wherever there was water needed.

"It was just a case of communicating to try and keep ahead of it really."

Image source, Daniel Pardoe

Asked why he had risked his life to help, he explained: "It's a community, you help each other.

"They would do the same if it was over on our land and our properties.

"If you can help, you do don't you? That's just what you do."

He added: "The flames were about four feet away but you can only fight the ones you can get away from safely.

"You have to try and use a bit of nous, and not do anything too daft."

Rebecca Woods
BBC News

On Gorleston Road, in Warstock, residents stood in the street taking in the scene before them.

One man told me he had to leave his home until 02:30 BST, while firefighters fought the flames.

The wind threatened to fan the flames even further, but crews managed to get it under control.

This road backs on to Daisy Farm Park, where it is thought the fire started.

But as yet, due to how busy West Midlands Fire Service has been tackling the more significant fires in Stourbridge, there has been little official information about these two fires, even though multiple families here have lost their homes.

Rebecca Woods
BBC News

I’ve been to the scene of two fires in Birmingham this morning, where at least 11 houses have either been destroyed or severely damaged.

At Gorleston Road in Warstock, at least two homes are completely burnt out with the roofs of four more ravaged by fire.

Two miles away, on Hillmeads Road in Kings Norton, a row of five homes are blackened with soot, their roofs non-existent.

Piles of scorched belongings lay in a pile outside the houses, the smell of smoke still thick in the air.

Engineers from Cadent were on the scene to ensure the gas supplies remained safe.

Both are scenes of devastation.

Ethan Saunders
in Stoke-on-Trent

Chris Murchison said his home was affected by the fire on Sandy Road, in Stoke-on-Trent.

“The back of my garden has all caught fire. There is a park behind it, I think that’s where it’s started,” he told BBC Radio Stoke.

“All my neighbours – all their gardens have been completely burnt down.”

He said he was in nearby Kidsgrove when he found out about the fire and could see the smoke as he was returning home.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, neighbours were just distressed,” Murchison added.

The house itself was okay, he said, but his shed and garden were “completely gone”.

“You’re thankful that your house is okay, but it’s just a bit of a shock really.”

Fire crews remain at the scene of the devastating fire in Stourbridge.

An update from West Midlands Fire Service said they were "making progress" and “tactically working across several different areas of the site”.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Jane Baxter

Jane and Peter Baxter, whose house backs onto the golf course in Stourbridge, had to leave their home because of the fast‑spreading fire and the uncertainty over which direction it was moving.

She said: “It was literally grab what you needed and get out and within about four or five minutes, the police knocked on the door again and said, 'You really have got to get out now’.

“We picked up the cat, cat box, cat food and medication that was on the kitchen table,” she explained.

She said the smell of smoke lingered heavily in the air.

“The smell is horrendous at the moment," Baxter added. "It's really a choking smell in the air still unfortunately.”

Bridget Phillipson, chair of the Labour Party and minister for women and equalities, told BBC Breakfast the scenes across the West Midlands were “deeply troubling and concerning”.

“My thoughts are with all of those affected who have been in a really difficult and dangerous situation,” she added.

“I also want to pay tribute to the emergency services, especially our firefighters who worked in extremely difficult conditions to keep people safe and to protect homes, livelihoods and people from harm.”

The chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council said the fire service was "under significant pressure" with 11 major incidents declared across the UK.

Phil Garrigan told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: "It’s not just the Stourbridge incident that we’ve dealt with over the last 24 hours.

"We’ve had 11 major incidents declared across the UK – Stourbridge particularly, but Sandwell, Pershore, Stoke-on-Trent."

He added: "It’s been a particularly difficult, busy period for the fire and rescue service, where we’ve been under significant pressure."

Supplies, including large bottles of water, have been left on Norton Road in Stourbridge for emergency service workers.

Earlier, West Midlands Fire Service said it had been "taken aback" by the kindness and support of the community.

As firefighters tackled the blaze at The Dell in Druids Heath, resident Gary Staples witnessed the devastation it caused to houses as it spread rapidly.

“The flames were so high that the trees were catching fire and everything," he said. "It was terrible, it was devastating."

The 64-year-old said he had never seen anything like it before, adding: "I hope I never see it again."

Image source, Gary Staples

Image source, EPA

Al Carns, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, described the number of fires in the region as "worrying scenes", particularly referring to incidents in Druids Heath, Dawberry Fields Park and Daisy Farm Park.

"We are again reminded of the great work the emergency services do to keep us safe," he added.

He gave the following advice, which was also shared by West Midlands Fire Service:

Do not use disposable BBQs or have garden bonfires.

• No open fires in the countryside
• Caution around cigarette disposal - the smallest ember can spark a fire that requires multiple fire crews to put out
• Clear away bottles, glasses and any broken glass to prevent them magnifying the sun’s rays and starting a fire
• If a fire breaks out, call 999 immediately. Be clear about location, mentioning any nearby landmarks

"Don’t attempt to fight the fire yourself, unless it is very small and can be put out with a bucket of water – grass and crop fires can travel very quickly," he added.

"If you live near an affected area, West Midlands Ambulance Service advise keeping your doors and windows closed as a precaution."