STOURBRIDGE, UK — Exclusive footage obtained by ITV News Central has revealed the scale of wildfires that swept through parts of the Midlands during the hottest day of the year, destroying homes and forcing residents to evacuate as firefighters struggled to contain the rapidly spreading flames.

In Stourbridge alone, 19 homes were destroyed as crews battled the blaze for almost a week. Police officers went door to door warning residents to leave as the fire spread rapidly through dry grass, woodland and gardens.

West Midlands Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill has now returned to the scene with ITV News Central, describing the emergency as unlike anything he had experienced during his career. “I’ve never seen that in my career,” he said.

Mr Tuhill was called to coordinate the response as the fire spread and asked a police officer to drive him around the perimeter so he could assess the scale of the incident. Returning to the area, he described the aftermath as “a scene of utter devastation” that “took my breath away.”

Exclusive footage from the day showed how quickly the flames moved. One firefighter described running around, clapping and shouting at residents to get out because there was little he could do to stop the advancing fire. Police body-worn camera footage also captured officers going from door to door, urging residents to evacuate as flames approached their homes.

The scale of the emergency was reflected in the number of calls received by fire control rooms. Almost 2,000 calls were made to Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control that afternoon, nearly four times as many as on the same day the previous year. Operation Willow Beck was activated, with other control rooms around the country handling calls that could not be answered locally, while crews from outside the region were brought in to help maintain fire cover.

Fire control staff described the demand as “constant,” “intense” and “relentless.” One firefighter said they “needed Superman,” while another said crews knew that if they could not contain the blaze, it would continue spreading and destroy more homes.

Stourbridge resident Uttam Shiralkar was at home when he began to smell smoke, while his wife Sandy was at work. As the situation became more serious, he tried to return home but was stopped by police. The couple later discovered that their house was among those destroyed.

At Stourbridge Town Hall, where residents had sought refuge, Uttam and Sandy were shown a photograph of their home. They initially struggled to believe what they were seeing. “My mouth was dry. I became numb. I didn’t know what to say… And I was horrified,” Uttam said.

The couple said their home represented years of memories, including the birth of their grandson, and that reminders of the destruction continued to feel like “mini shocks.”

The fires also caused major damage elsewhere across the Midlands. In Stoke-on-Trent, a disposable barbecue quickly got out of control, while homes in Warstock, near Kings Heath in Birmingham, were engulfed by flames. Firefighters also battled another fast-moving wildfire on Cannock Chase.

Crews from Yorkshire and the South West were brought in to support the emergency response. Firefighters remained at the Stourbridge scene for almost a week, first tackling the main blaze before returning to deal with remaining hotspots. Nineteen homes were ultimately destroyed.

For Ann Talbot, the fire also resulted in the loss of two Chihuahua puppies, which died from smoke inhalation after she initially tried to tackle the blaze herself. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep,” she said.

The fires occurred during a period of exceptional heat and dry weather, with August 13 recorded as the hottest day of the year. The experience has raised questions about how fire services prepare for increasingly extreme conditions and what communities can do as the risk of wildfires grows.

For Sandy, the possibility of another hot summer has become a source of anxiety. “I understand that next year is going to be warmer than this year. And if it is going to be warmer, it just makes me worried that are there going to be more events like this,” she said.

For Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill, the emergency remains something he has never experienced during his career. “I’ve never seen that in my career,” he said.

SOURCE: ITV News Central, Kavita Patel, September 22, 2026.