Two wildfires that destroyed 19 homes and damaged a further 18 in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on 13 August were started accidentally by agricultural machinery being used in nearby fields, fire chiefs have confirmed. The blazes, which broke out on Britain's hottest day of the year, tore through more than 500 acres and forced some residents to flee, prompting a visit from the Prime Minister and drawing comparisons to scenes rarely seen in Britain.

Fire crews were called to the first fire near Racecourse Lane at 1.27pm, with a second breaking out shortly afterwards near Quarry Park Road and Worcester Lane; investigators working with police found farming equipment had been in use in both areas beforehand and ruled out deliberate ignition. One firefighter was hospitalised and five more suffered minor injuries, while local farmers ploughing fields helped stop the fires reaching further homes. A separate fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, destroyed four more properties, and across the region West Midlands Ambulance Service treated 54 people, 19 of whom were admitted to hospital.