Last Thursday afternoon, many residents across Stourbridge watched with concern as wildfires took hold in parts of our hometown. Seeing smoke rising and the impact on our much-loved green spaces was understandably worrying for residents, families, and local businesses.

I want to put on record my sincere thanks to the firefighters, emergency services, council teams, volunteers, and Oldswinford Hospital School who responded so quickly and professionally. Their hard work and dedication helped bring the situation under control and protect residents and their homes. I’d also like to recognise the continuing work of Network Rail who worked alongside fire crews on Thursday as the fire spread to the railway line, and are working hard to carry out urgent repairs to get services back up and running between Stourbridge and Kidderminster. Special thanks to the local farmers who played their part to prevent further spread of fire across the fields.

My thoughts are with everyone who was affected by the fires, especially those who lost their homes and tragically their beloved pets. Events like this are a stark reminder of just how vulnerable our environment can be during hot and dry weather.

I was also proud to see the community come together once again. Residents followed safety advice, avoided affected areas and looked out for one another. That community spirit is so important when we face incidents like this. I was at the Town Hall and OSH working alongside council staff and volunteers supporting residents through this incident and seeing our community come together in this way is humbling.

As we move forward, I would encourage everyone to remain vigilant when using our parks, open spaces, and countryside. Please dispose of litter responsibly and avoid any activity that could risk starting a fire. Simple actions can make a real difference.

Our green spaces are a huge part of what makes Stourbridge such a special place to live. Some of the damage caused by these fires will take time to recover, but I know our community will continue to do everything it can to protect and preserve these valued spaces for future generations.

I understand that this has deeply affected our whole community, whether directly impacted or not. There is support available for anyone who needs it and I encourage people to reach out for help. Details are available on the Dudley Council website.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who responded to the fires, as well as residents for their patience, understanding and resilience during what was a very worrying afternoon. I know how much these spaces mean to our community, and I will continue to support efforts to protect them.

Information for people affected by the fire in Norton, Stourbridge | Dudley Council https://www.dudley.gov.uk/media-centre/emergency-incident-major-grass-fire-in-stourbridge/