Two fires which rapidly escalated into a major incident in Stourbridge and caused widespread destruction were started accidentally in fields where agricultural machinery was being used, investigators have concluded. West Midlands Fire Service was first alerted to a fire in a field near Racecourse Lane at around 1.27pm on Thursday, 13 August. A second fire broke out shortly afterwards in a field near Quarry Park Road and Worcester Lane. Specialist fire investigators, working alongside West Midlands Police, have now established that farming equipment was being operated near both fields immediately before the fires were reported. Officials have confirmed neither fire was started deliberately. The incidents rapidly escalated in exceptionally hot conditions, with firefighters battling to protect homes and other property as flames spread. Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said: “Our thoughts remain with everyone affected, whether directly or indirectly, by events on 13 August in Stourbridge and beyond. “Many people in Stourbridge face having to rebuild homes and lives and, understandably, have questions as part of that process. “That’s why we are confirming that both fires were not started deliberately. They were accidental.” Mr Tuhill acknowledged the scale of the damage and personal losses suffered by residents, adding that the findings would not replace lost homes, livelihoods or cherished possessions. He praised firefighters, staff and officers who worked in challenging conditions to protect lives and property and thanked police, ambulance crews, members of the farming community and local residents and businesses who assisted during and after the emergency. “The response to this incident showed the very best of Stourbridge and the wider West Midlands,” he said. Investigations into the full circumstances surrounding the two fires remain ongoing, but the fire service said it wanted to make its findings about their accidental origin public as soon as possible.
Originally published by UKNIP.
