Community praised for response to help residents hit by Stourbridge fire

Residents in Stourbridge have been praised for their fantastic response to help up to 300 people, including care home residents, forced out of their homes by Thursday’s “absolutely terrifying” fire.

As fire crews attempted to dampen hedges and tackle smouldering fires on the southern edge of the West Midlands town, residents were evacuated from several streets inside a cordon centred on the Racecourse Lane area.

Rest centres were set up at Stourbridge Town Hall and Old Swinford Hospital school as part of an emergency plan involving Dudley Council and partner agencies.

Speaking at the state boarding school on Friday, councillor Ed Lawrence, responsible for emergency response at the council, said the blaze had left local people terrified.

He told the Press Association: “The speed that it spread – I think that’s the most shocking bit about it.

“I think it started in some fields but it was leaping over roads, going into wooded areas and threatening houses really early on.

“Some of the videos that you can see on Facebook really do shock you.

“It would have been absolutely terrifying. Flames leaping and coming towards your house.

“I’ve got colleagues at the council who live in that area who were under threat. They were out there trying to stop the flames.

“It’s absolutely devastating.”

Mr Lawrence said of the still cordoned off area: “We are asking people to stay away so that we can let the fire service do what they need to do and get this situation under control, so we can get people back home.”

He also urged members of the public not to fly drones in the area and to observe road closures.

Those who had lost their homes were the council’s absolute priority, Mr Lawrence said, with housing teams set to work with them to secure emergency accommodation and offer any support they need.

Asked about the council’s response, he continued: “Our chief executive briefed me and I think within 45 minutes we had the first evacuation centre set up and ready to receive residents that had been evacuated.

“Our highways teams were on site closing roads, assisting the police because there was just a massive situation to deal with.

“We never wanted to use these plans but it’s good to see that they are working.”

Not all of the 250-300 residents who made their way or were taken to evacuation centres had stayed there overnight, with some opting to stay with friends or relatives.

The NHS also took part in the efforts to help those forced to leave their homes, offering an on-site GP to deal with medical issues or problems with prescriptions.

Community donations of clothing, food and bedding, and those from businesses including Tesco, had been heart-warming, Mr Lawrence said.

He added: “The response from local residents has been absolutely fantastic and I really thank them for that.”

Laurence Green, who lives in an evacuated street close to fire-hit Racecourse Lane, spent the night at a dormitory block at the school rest centre and thanked those staffing the facility for their excellent care.

The 66-year-old retired carer said: “There was a slight amount of smoke on the fields and I didn’t really think much of it so I just went out for the afternoon until about six o’clock.

“I was on my way back home. I asked the police can I go home and they said no and they directed me to the Town Hall. Then we were brought here.”

The atmosphere at the rest centre was calm friendly and supportive, Mr Green said.

Old Swinford Hospital school’s headmaster, Paul Kilbride, said: “Clearly, the council is responding to a very delicate and very serious situation.

“All that we are doing is being a good neighbour. All that we are doing is lending support by, in this instance, opening two of our boarding houses.

“One boarding house for displaced people… our neighbours. And one boarding house with residents of a local care home.

“Everyone here is a volunteer pretty much, in terms of the people who I’m working with, and I think everyone has been humbled by the compassion and the generosity shown by the community.

“The donations for example started arriving around half eight to nine o’clock last night and as you can they are still arriving.”