Rorey Bosotti
Live editor

Image source, EPA

A fire that "fully destroyed" 19 properties in Stourbridge, West Midlands, is now under control and homes are no longer at risk, says the local assistant fire chief.

The update comes as some residents wait for information on when they can return home - though others have already been granted access to their homes.

West Midlands Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Barry has said he's hoping some residents whose house are unaffected by the fire will be able to move back this evening.

Dudley Council's chief executive had warned earlier that returns may take place on a street-by-street basis, adding that the situation remained "very complex".

"We understand that many residents will have questions about returning to their homes," Balvinder Heran has said. "These matters are being reviewed continuously with our emergency service partners."

The West Midlands is one of several regions that have been affected by fires in recent days, with the head of the National Fire Chief Council (NFCC) saying crews have been deployed to 43 new wildfires in the past 24 hours alone.

We're now ending our live coverage, you can keep up to date with the latest on this story in our news story.

Matt Spivey
Live editor

Day one

West Midlands Fire Service was alerted to a large grass fire near Stourbridge Golf Club just before 13:30 BST on Thursday 13 August.

More than 100 firefighters fought to tackle the flames as they spread over more than 500 acres. The fires destroyed and damaged homes, and forced residents to evacuate.

Both West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service declared this a major incident.

Day two

On Friday, West Midlands Fire Service’s Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said the fire had destroyed 19 homes and damaged 18 others.

Cordons and road closures will remain in place around the affected area, he added, as fire investigators continued to establish the circumstances of the incident.

Tuhill added that progress was being made.

Day three

Speaking to BBC Breakfast and Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, Tuhill said the number of homes damaged was 19, up from the earlier 18 reported the day before.

Some Stourbridge residents were able to return home to assess the damage - others were left unable to return.

A short while ago, West Midlands Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Barry told the BBC the fire is now under control, and they are just dampening down hotspots.

He said homes are no longer at risk, and he hopes those whose homes are unaffected will be able to return this evening.

Nick Johnson
Reporting from Stourbridge

West Midlands Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Barry has just been speaking to residents at the police cordon in Stourbridge.

He tells me the fire is now under control, and they are just dampening down hotspots. He said as far at the service is concerned, homes are no longer at risk.

He says he’s hoping some residents whose homes are unaffected, will be able to move back this evening.

Two separate fundraising pages set up to help those affected by the fires in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, have raised more than £13,000 collectively.

Nineteen homes were destroyed and a further 19 damaged in the town after a huge fire spread rapidly through grass and woodland on Thursday.

A Dudley Council page set up to support people affected by the fires in Stourbridge and Pedmore has already more than doubled its £1,000 goal.

It has so far raised £3,521 - the crowdfunding page appears to have been created earlier today.

The council says: "In the aftermath, we have been overwhelmed by the number of people, businesses and community organisations who have asked how they can help.

"This Crowdfunder has been created to harness that community spirit and provide a trusted way for people to support those affected."

Meanwhile, a separate crowdfunding page set up by community interest company The Fine Collective CIC has raised more than £10,000 for children and families affected.

It says it will be working closely with the council to do so.

Image source, Crowdfunder

More now from Stoke-on-Trent, where a councillor says the community response has been extraordinary.

Four homes were completely destroyed by a fire that started in a local park in Sandyford - 13 other homes suffered fire damage including structural, roof and window damage.

The council says it has secured emergency accommodation for all affected residents, with some families making their own temporary arrangements.

Six firefighters taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and they have since been discharged.

Local councillor Dr Chandra Kanneganti is asking people to contact him regarding fundraising and donations, adding the effort "will not be over when the emergency vehicles leave".

"Some of our neighbours have lost their homes and others face significant disruption. They will need our support in the weeks and months ahead," Kanneganti adds.

Christopher Steers
BBC Radio Stoke

Marie Leese is devastated her treasured garden went up in flames after fire ripped through properties in Maureen Avenue, Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent.

When she was allowed to return home, she found she had also lost the summer house her husband built before he died, three years ago.

She escaped with just her dog, Benji, and her phone, but says she is too terrified to sleep as firefighters are still dealing with a hotspot in a home across the road.

Staffordshire Police have arrested a man and woman on suspicion of arson after four properties were destroyed.

The fire started on Thursday afternoon as fire crews were callen to a grass fire at the back of Maureen Avenue.

Staffordshire Police have urged residents to help them keep the county safe after numerous fires including two at Park Hall Country Park., external

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Firefighting crews are working across several parts of the UK to tackle ongoing fires.

In the West Midlands, where fires have caused extensive damage in recent days, Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill tells the BBC work is continuing to get the fires under control.

He calls the operation "one of the most serious" he's ever seen, as the fire service says 19 houses have been "fully destroyed" by the blazes.

Crews worked through the night to bring a fire at Black Hill in Clun, Shropshire, under control. An emergency presence will remain in the area to ensure all hotspots are put out.

In Wales,the military has been deployed to help tackle wildfires with personnel and an Army helicopter supporting firefighters at a blaze in the hamlet of Cwmavon, south east Wales, Torfaen council says.

Firefighters in Hampshire are still working to dampen down a wildfire which broke out six days ago in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night to make sure that the fire was "fully surrounded".

In Sandyford, in Stoke-on-Trent, four homes were destroyed by fires on Thursday. Six firefighters had to be taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

Rorey Bosotti
Live page editor

Yesterday we brought you the story of Abbie Harvey who, with other members of a Stourbridge horse riding school, rescued eight horses from the flames and helped evacuate residents.

I've chatted with Abbie today to get an update of the situation. She tells me "it still hasn't really sunk in".

After successfully leading the horses to safety, she ended up having to visit the A&E due to the smoke. She's now taking the rest of the weekend to recover.

Abbie describes the other girls involved in the rescue operation - Izzy, Helen, Charlotte, Sophie and Ellie from Sugarloaf Equestrian Centre - as "troopers", saying they're already back to work today.

"All eight horses are safe," she says. She adds that the field where they have been rescued from "is completely scorched".

Abbie, who is a veterinary nurse, is planning to return to work on Monday but she's keeping in touch with the riding school and will "definitely be there" if any help is needed.

Image source, Abbie Harvey

Image source, Debs Stafford

Away from the West Midlands, a blaze in the New Forest that has been burning since 9 August is now "fully surrounded", the local fire service says.

The fire started when a van caught fire on the A31 last Sunday, forcing 23 drivers to abandon their vehicles as the flames approached.

"Overnight, firefighters continued working incredibly hard at the scene, and the fire is now fully surrounded," says Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) in an update today.

"We will still be on scene for a number of days as we damp down and extinguish hotspots." The public has been urged to avoid the hotspot areas.

Approximately 1.6 sq km (0.6 sq miles) has been affected, the HIWFRS said on Friday, and 169 fire appliances from 93 fire stations had been deployed to tackle the blaze.

• You can read more about the New Forest fire in our story

The briefing for residents ended with Dudley Council's Heran thanking them for their "patience, co-operation and community spirit during this very, very difficult time".

She adds: "Finally, I want to pay tribute to the emergency services, our council staff, volunteers and partner agencies who have continued to work tirelessly to keep people safe and support our communities."

Dudley Council boss Balvinder Heran tells residents that police are keen to receive information from anyone who may have photographs or video footage that can assist the investigation into how the fire started.

"Detectives are keeping an open mind and enquiries remain ongoing," she says.

There have been reports of private drones being flown across parts of Stourbridge.

Dudley Council boss Heran says: "We kindly ask members of the public not to fly drones in the affected areas as emergency services need access to airspace."

On letting people back into their Stourbridge homes, Heran says the fire service is currently working on how it can safely reduce its footprint in the area in order to allow roads to reopen and residents to return to their properties.

There remain several road closures and access restrictions.

"We understand that many residents will have questions about returning to their homes," she says. "These matters are being reviewed continuously with our emergency service partners."

Dudley Council boss Balvinder Heran also warns residents against scammers looking to exploit fundraising during this tough time.

"Unfortunately incidents such as this can attract fundraising and donation scams so i ask you to please remain vigilant and only donate through official channels," she says.

A briefing by Dudley Council for residents affected by the fire in Stourbridge has begun.

Chief executive Balvinder Heran tells residents to be assured the council, firefighters and police are doing all they can to support residents.

She tells them not return to their property "until you have been expressely advised that it is safe to do so".

The return of residents may take place on a street-by-street basis, she says.

"It is a very complex situation and we are aware of the need to get residents back into their properties as soon as possible," Heran says.

Image source, EPA

Disposable barbecues are being removed from sale, due to them being the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country this summer.

They "cannot be considered a safe product" in the current conditions and they "must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time" in Great Britain, according to the government., external

An emergency alert sent to millions of people across England and Wales last night warned people against setting a light to anything that could spark a wildfire - including barbecues, firepits, and fireworks.

The alert says even a small flame could rapidly develop into a major wildfire, putting people at risk.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the country is like "a tinderbox" and told members of the public to take the warning "seriously", adding that the alert was triggered at the request of firefighters.

Joan Cummins
Midlands Today reporter

In Stourbridge, homeowners gather at a cordon on the junction of Worcester Lane and Racecourse Lane.

People whose homes are safe are being escorted down to pick up their essentials.

Meanwhile, those whose properties have been destroyed are not being allowed past.

One very frustrated woman tells me the fire service were too slow to respond to her call on Thursday, and she feels more should have been done. She says she waited at least 40 minutes for one engine to arrive.

She has now lost everything, and describes suffering from horrific flashbacks.

West Midlands Fire Service says, at its height, more than 100 firefighters attended the Stourbridge blaze, which destroyed 19 properties and damaged a further 19.

Birmingham Snow Hill trains are disrupted following the fire in Stourbridge.

Transport for West Midlands says West Midlands Trains' network will not be operating on selected services throughout Saturday and Sunday.

Details of reduced services:

• Birmingham to Kidderminster services will run between Birmingham and Stourbridge
• Worcester to Hereford services will run as scheduled
• Birmingham to Worcester services are subject to alteration
• Rail replacement buses will operate between Stourbridge and Kidderminster

On Saturday, the replacement buses will leave Stourbridge at 10 minutes past and 20 minutes to the hour until 23:40 BST.

Buses will leave Kidderminster at 12 minutes past and 18 minutes to the hour until 00:12.

On Sunday, an hourly bus service will depart from Stourbridge on the hour from 10:00 until 21:00, with two additional buses at 22:20 and 23:30.

There will also be an hourly bus service from Kidderminster at 10 minutes to the hour between 09:50 and 18:50, with an additional service at 09:20.

Image source, West Midlands Railway

Amy Cole
in Stourbridge

John Moore, who lives on Osmaston Road in Stourbridge, about half a mile from the fire, says he was asked to leave his home on Thursday, and has still not been allowed to return.

“Most of the people in the road just came out expecting we would just be away for two or three hours," he says.

"It's absolutely shocking. We can get no answers about when we can go back."

He says he has been coming to the cordon at least four times a day.

“We've been told now that it is a crime scene and no one can enter a crime scene."

Police say they are investigating the fires but keeping an open mind as to the cause.

John’s wife is 86 and “semi-bed ridden”, he says. The couple are currently staying with her sister.

“We were allowed to come back on the first night to collect some medicines, but apart from that, we haven't been able to get back into the house at all.

"Some people actually stayed in their house and they’re still in there now. But because we left, we can’t re-enter.”

He says he is being passed between fire and police, and cannot get through to the council.

“We've just got to wait. No one's given us an answer.

“It's not just me, there's probably about 60 other people who are normally here by the side of me every day asking, can we go?”

Crews from across Shropshire and neighbouring brigades are still at the scene of a fire which broke out at Black Hill in Clun.

A social media post from Clun Fire Station says crews worked through the night to bring the fire under control.

An emergency presence will remain in the area for some time as crews work to ensure all hotspots are put out.

"As you can imagine, the thick forestry makes this type of fire incredibly challenging to tackle," the post says.

The fire service gave "huge thanks" to colleagues, farmers and residents who all stepped forward to help.

"The kindness, teamwork and willingness to help one another and save our local area truly shows what our community is all about," the post continues.

Black Hill is a hill covered in pine trees which overlooks the market town of Clun.

Image source, Clun Fire Station