Hot weather linked to 20-acre grassland blaze

The heat was a factor in a 20-acre grassland fire in Worcestershire, the fire service has said.

Five fire engines were called to the Astley area, near Stourport-on-Severn, at about 17:30 BST on Wednesday, and the blaze was extinguished within a few hours.

As the blaze was being tackled, the fire service urged people to avoid the location and keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. It added smoke may affect nearby communities, with members of the public asked to keep windows closed.

Firefighters remained at the scene earlier and were continuing to inspect the area to ensure it was safe. No casualties were reported.

Red heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency for regions, including the West Midlands, remained in place on Thursday.

Phil Briscoe, owner of Severn Sports and Leisure at Larford Lakes, said he spotted the fire as he was locking up and saw flames that reached about 8ft (2.4m) high.

"I thought, that's strange, the field's burning," he said.

After he got home, he was told firefighters were on the scene and wanted access to his premises, to pump water from the lakes.

"Fortunately no damage to us," he said, adding he felt for the farmer whose field had been affected.

Briscoe added the area was "very dry" on Wednesday and a lot of dust had come off the fields.

"It's an area now that has seen a few fires over the last 12 months," he added.

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