A national government alert has been issued across England and Wales, warning the public not to light anything that could spark a wildfire. The warning follows a large fire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on Thursday that destroyed 19 homes and damaged a further 18.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged the public to take the warning "seriously", noting it was triggered at the request of firefighters. Mr Burnham visited Stourbridge and described the scene as "devastating", adding that the country was a "tinderbox" and warning of a potentially difficult weekend ahead.
The government has also announced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, citing their role in serious fires this summer. Mr Burnham confirmed that 37 fires are currently burning across England and Wales, though not all are attributed to disposable barbecues.
West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill described the Stourbridge blaze as one of the most significant incidents the service has ever handled. Elsewhere, a major incident was declared in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and firefighters in Hampshire have been tackling a wildfire in the New Forest for six days.