A grass fire that started in a field near Stourbridge Golf Club on Thursday 13 August raged across 500 acres of land, while more than 1,100 hectares of land are suffering in rural Wales.

In Stourbrudge, the wildfires destroyed a total of 19 homes, with a further 19 damaged, says West Midlands Fire Service. The ambulance service said 54 people were treated by paramedics across the county, while 19 were admitted to hospital.

The Tree Doctors, based in the West Midlands, has a contract with Stourbridge’s local authority.

Managing director William Boultan says, “we’re going to have to tackle the burnt trees, and think of the best way to deal with them PPE-wise and machinery-wise.”

The fires in parts of North and South Wales have also damaged land, forests and livestock. Victoria Bond, director of CLA Cymru, comments on the situation:

“These wildfires are a stark reminder of the growing challenges posed by extreme weather in our countryside. Our members, who manage much of Wales’ rural land, are working tirelessly and shoulder-to-shoulder alongside emergency services to protect lives, property, and the natural environment.”

Rhinogydd mountains of Gwynedd suffered one of the biggest blazes in Wales, burning an estimated 951 hectares, while another major incident in Blaenavon, Torfaen, scorched more than 220 hectares.

RSPB chief executive, Beccy Speight, also comments on the increasing wildfires:

“The scale and frequency of these incidents should serve as a warning. The UK’s wildfire challenge is growing, driven by a combination of climate change, prolonged dry periods, rising temperatures and human ignition sources. The question now is not whether we face a heightened wildfire risk, but how we adapt to it.

Rewilding Britain also comments on the wildfires:

“We cannot keep chasing the flames from one fire season to the next. We have to build landscapes that are better able to resist them in the first place.”

Since this news story was published, areas of the UK have experienced rain downpours. However, expert and meteorologist Aidan McGivern says, “the wetter conditions won’t be nearly enough to reverse the weeks of below-average rainfall experienced in much of the country,” adding, “it’s not going to solve the drought situation overnight.”