'Ash has been raining down on us from the sky for hours': On the hottest day of the year, rampant wildfires engulf streets of family homes across the country

By INDERDEEP BAINS, CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT and SAM GREENHILL, THE CHIEF REPORTER and SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:36, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 23:36, 13 August 2026 Wildfires caused apocalyptic scenes on Thursday night as they engulfed homes on the hottest day of the year. Temperatures soared to a blistering 38.1C as firefighters battled several infernos across the country.  Residents were forced to flee - with some told to dampen the outside of their properties first - as blazes ravaging swathes of grassland spread to homes. A train derailment in Sussex that left two people seriously injured may also have been a result of the scorching summer. A major incident was declared as six houses were destroyed by a rapidly spreading wildfire in Stourbridge - one of several blazes that left West Midlands Fire Service facing 'extreme levels of demand'. Witnesses described how the flames 'jumped from house to house' while residents grabbed what they could and fled. A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital. Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field. 'Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,' one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as 'very, very strong'. Stourbridge residents were forced to flee - with some told to dampen the outside of their properties first - as blazes ravaging swathes of grassland spread to homes  'Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,' one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as 'very, very strong'  A burnt-out property on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge, reveals the destructive extent of the wildfire Simon Tuhill, chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service, said his team had dealt with 'thousands' of 999 calls. Local councillor Andrew Tromans said: 'The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don't act.' Around 100 firefighters were tackling the inferno which broke out near Stourbridge golf course at noon, obliterating 40 acres of land. Golfers are said to have fled in their carts. One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine. 'When the fire brigade finally came, the whole lot was just engulfed in flames, including the fire truck,' Michael Morgan said.  'The flames just came straight through the bushes and covered the fire truck in flames. It just engulfed it.' Resident Chris Dunnington said black smoke swept over homes from nearby fields. 'Then we saw the fire coming on to the driveways and fences of the first house,' he added. 'The wind picked up so strong so it was just fuelling the flames. It was just the perfect disaster.' Your browser does not support iframes. Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field Witnesses described how the flames 'jumped from house to house' while residents grabbed what they could and fled Jane Baxter, who was among those evacuated, said: 'We could see the flames above the rooftops of the houses - that was how high the flames were'.  When a fire truck ran out of water, residents tried to beat back flames in nearby woodland themselves.  At the same time, less than 30 miles away, another major incident was declared due to a large fire ripping through Salford Priors in Stratford-upon-Avon. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: 'There is a large emergency presence in the area and we continue to advise residents nearby to close all doors and windows.' The service reported 'several field fires around Bidford-on-Avon and Salford Priors'. 'We have individuals who are being treated for smoke inhalation. Efforts are being focused on preventing risk to life,' it said.  Farmers were supporting the fire service by bringing bowsers filled with water to the scene. Elsewhere in the region, homes in Castle Vale, Birmingham, were badly damaged by a fire, with one woman reported to have suffered serious injuries. Images from the scene show two bungalows completely gutted by fire. Part of the roof of one of the homes appeared to have caved in. The M6 northbound near Birmingham was temporarily shut between Junctions 5 and 6 due to thick smoke billowing across the carriageway.  There were also fires in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, where a small number of homes have been evacuated, according to Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, and reports came in on Thursday night of houses on fire in Maypole, south Birmingham. Several homes can be seen up in flames, with clouds of black smoke billowing from the properties as part of a 'major incident' in Stourbridge Dozens of firefighters tackled the devastating blaze in the residential area, which is situated next to a golf course in Stourbridge One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine Several fires were also reported in Worcestershire including in Pershore where half a dozen homes were thought to have been affected.  One witness said the blaze spread through as many as six homes like a 'domino effect'. 'I saw a lot of smoke and before the fire service arrived there was a fire in what looked like somebody's back garden,' James Lees said.  'All of a sudden a big puff of smoke came from a house, probably about four doors down from where it originally began. 'It was big black, billowing smoke and then it has kind of just spread across the houses like a domino effect. Now there's probably about five or six houses that are just covered in smoke - you can see flames at the front and out at the back.'  Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said 200 properties had been left without power and one person had suffered smoke inhalation. A spokesman added: 'A number of homes have been damaged and 30 properties in the area have been evacuated.'  Another major incident was declared in Norfolk after the county was hit by a series of infernos. Crews from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 16 emergencies on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath which saw local roads closed for some time. It came after five homes were destroyed in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Wednesday when a fire on a field spread. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson. The blazes erupted as a fifth heatwave gripped the country, with the UK experiencing its hottest day of the year so far and the fifth hottest day on record. The mercury peaked at 38.1C (100.5F) at Kew Gardens in west London, provisionally surpassing the 38C recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26. A rare amber extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office was in place until Thursday night covering the Midlands and south-east of England. It comes after the Fire Brigade Union this week warned the UK faces a shortage of firefighters to combat wildfires. Union leader Steve Wright said 5,000 more firefighters were needed to prevent lives from being put at risk. The UK has already seen more than 1,000 wildfires this year, making it the worst year on record.