Train services on Snow Hill routes have been affected by the fire in Stourbridge spreading to nearby embankments and causing disruption which is expected to last over the weekend, West Midlands Railway said.

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 from 06:10 to 23:40 BST.

Buses will leave Kidderminster at 12 minutes past and 18 minutes to the hour, from 06:42 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

The Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, was among those who were forced to evacuate as fire spread through Stourbridge.

Still dressed in the t-shirt and shorts he left his home in, he told BBC Midlands Today he saw a huge cloud of smoke and flames "more than the size of a house" only a few fields away, which continued to spread.

"We saw houses going up in smoke in front of our eyes. Absolutely tragic," he said.

He said he believed his own home was still standing, but had not been able to return because the area remained cordoned off.

Hundreds of people in Stourbridge were looking for somewhere to stay after being evacuated, he said, and added a fundraising page to help those affected was expected to be set up and shared on the Dudley Council website.

Millie Trenholm
BBC Newsbeat

These homes in Pershore, Worcestershire, have been completely gutted by flames.

Pictures show the windows blown out with the roof barely intact and rubble everywhere.

Residents' possessions are strewn around the floor:

A number of homes were damaged and 30 properties evacuated on Thursday. One person was treated for smoke inhalation and about 200 properties were also left without power.

Josh Sandiford
BBC News, West Midlands

Speaking to us on Gorleston Road in Warstock, Birmingham, Peter Simmonds, station commander at Billesley fire station, said crews were still not clear on what the cause of the fire was.

He said there had been speculation that it could have been deliberate but reiterated that this was not confirmed until investigations were carried out.

"Five houses have been basically 100% affected by the fire, we've requested structural engineers to assess them from the council," he said.

"A number of properties, the fences and the gardens are severely damaged."

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat presenter

Earlier we heard from Olivia, 24, who said she was working from home when the fire started on Thursday in Stourbridge.

She said she thought she could smell burning toast.

"I just assumed it was a neighbour. I looked out a window and it was smoky."

Olivia's neighbours told her she had to be evacuated so she grabbed her dogs and went to her partner's house.

Her family has been told their house is fine, but she felt sorry for people who haven't been as lucky.

"I've seen now that houses have burnt down and that's people's livelihoods," she said."I spoke to a lady this morning who has lost her home. I think she was in shock, she wasn't saying much.

"She said: 'I was from Raceourse [Lane] but my house has just burnt down'."

Image source, reuter

Communities Secretary Angela Rayner says her department will hold a summit involving fire chiefs, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Fire Brigades Union and "other key organisations" to look at the country's "future response" to wildfires.

"It is awful to see the devastation fires have caused across the country. I’m very grateful to all the first responders working so hard to keep people safe," she said.

"A number of firefighters were taken to hospital as a result of incidents yesterday and I pay tribute to their bravery and commitment."

Rayner says the government will "do everything to make sure our fire services have the resources they need from us and our support to deal with the unprecedented risks being driven by this heatwave".

It may seem strange to mention flooding now, but Andy Burnham told BBC Radio 5 Live it was also something he was looking at in order to help fire and rescue services to be ready for in the future.

He was told at a Cobra meeting this week that the Met Office were expecting this dry period to last until "the end of September going into October, maybe some rainfall but not as much as we need".

"Then we're heading into a very, very wet latter part of the year, where the risk of flooding will be maybe greater because of the dry ground conditions.

"At the moment, fire and rescue services are not set up for flooding properly. These are questions that I have to take away, and I won't shy away from them."

Image source, Peter Byrne/Reuters

West Midlands Police is appealing to the public as part of their investigation into the Stourbridge fires.

The force has set up a portal for people to share information, external that could help investigators establish how the fires started in the town yesterday. Anyone with mobile phone footage of what happened is urged to come forward.

"We are keeping an open mind into how the fires started and we are actively investigating," says Assistant Chief Constable Rich North.

“At this stage, we are supporting our fire colleagues and would ask the public not to speculate on the cause of the fires."

Aida Fofana
BBC News, reporting from Birmingham

Jessica Rowley woke up on the other side of the world to learn that her parents had lost the family home they have lived in for 38 years.

Now living in Perth, Australia, she said hearing the news that the house on Gorleston Road in Warstock was destroyed was devastating.

"Everybody has suffered a devastating loss. I'm so glad everybody's safe, but I'm devastated for everyone," she said.

Image source, Jessica Rowley

Her father retired nine weeks ago after 50 years of work, and the couple have recently decided to renovate part of their home.

Hours after the work was completed, the property was engulfed by flames.

"They had just spent money having a wet room installed because they're getting older and might not be able to manage getting in and out of the bath," Rowley said.

"It was finished that day, just four hours before it happened. They've lost everything and only have the clothes on their backs."

Image source, EPA

Millions in England and Wales have been sent an emergency phone alert warning against "any activity" that could spark a wildfire.

It comes as crews continue to tackle blazes in the West Midlands.

Firefighters are now checking for and putting out hot spots as well as monitoring areas at risk of flaring up again in Stourbridge, after a blaze broke out yesterday and spread over more than 500 acres. Nineteen houses were "fully destroyed", according to the fire service.

On a visit to the area earlier, the prime minister said he had "never seen scenes like this anywhere in Britain".

Several other blazes are affecting the region, including a new fire which broke out in Northfield, south-west of Birmingham, earlier today.

"My mum’s lost everything... there's nothing saveable (sic)," says one man whose mother's home burned down in another area several miles away in Highters Heath.

The ambulance service said earlier that it treated 54 casualties at different fires across the region on Thursday, with 19 taken to hospital.

Many of us were caught unawares when that emergency alert came to our phones at 19:00 BST on Friday.

The government issued it, warning of a "very high risk of wildfires" and surprised many of us - including our colleagues at The One Show:

While we have been focusing on fires in the West Midlands, there have been several others being tackled by firefighters across England and Wales:

• In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed
• In Hampshire, firefighters have spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which broke out on Sunday
• Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath, off Gurney Road in the city

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says "our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting", after millions received an emergency alert from the government.

Here's the prime minister's statement in full:

"This evening, an emergency alert has been sent to people across England and Wales as the wildfire risk remains very high. The request came directly from fire and rescue services.

"I was in Stourbridge today and saw first-hand the devastating impact these fires have had on people’s homes and lives.

"Our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting.

"During this period of extreme heat, I’m asking everyone to take extra care. Please do not light any fires in gardens, the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas.

"Our firefighters and emergency responders are working around the clock in incredibly difficult conditions.

“We can all help them. Please take the emergency alert seriously and follow the guidance in place."

Chris Mason
Political editor

The emergency alert sent out by the government to tens of millions of mobile phones tonight is the biggest use yet of the system since it was first introduced in 2023.

The decision to send the alert was taken "in response to the continued risk proposed by wildfires," First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said.

The choice "reflects the seriousness with which the government is acting to safeguard people and property", she added.

"By following the safety guidance, everyone can play their part in protecting local communities and supporting our front-line services who are working around the clock to keep people safe."

Haigh said the government would continue to provide assistance to communities impacted by the fires, including by deploying "100 additional military personnel in major incident areas".

Last September there was a UK wide test of the mechanism, but in sending this across England and Wales it amounts to the largest ever real life use of it.

Millions have previously received messages in response to real world events, but they have tended to be much more geographically focused, such as during floods.

Image source, Cannock Police

Dramatic images show an area of Cannock Chase engulfed in an orange glow of flames, after a large fire off Marquis Drive on Thursday evening.

Chad Carrington, a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) in Staffordshire discovered the blaze while on patrol.

A nearby campsite was evacuated as a precaution.

A number of fire crews worked to contain the fire, police said and they thanked members of the public who stopped with bottles of water for the crews.

"An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire," a spokesperson added.

Image source, Cannock Police

The government sent that alert to millions of us on our phones across England and Wales, warning against setting light to anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, firepits, and fireworks.

We just heard a chorus of alarms around the newsroom.

A screenshot from one of our journalist's phones is shown below:

An emergency alert warning 'very high risk of wildfires' from the UK government has been sent to phones across England and Wales.

We'll bring you more on this shortly.

Fourteen fire engines are still at the scene of the fire in Stourbridge, and there will be a firefighters there for a number of days, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said.

Resources are split across several roads, and crews are damping down areas and working to reduce the risk of any further fire spread.

"We understand that this is a very distressing time for the communities affected, particularly local residents," a spokesperson said.

"We want to reiterate our thanks for everyone’s patience and cooperation as our work continues.

"If you’ve been directly affected, you can visit Stourbridge Town Hall for information and support."

James Bovill
in Stourbridge

Simon Marley, the chairman of Stourbridge Golf Club, said the "apocalyptic' flames on Thursday in the area left him fearing for his life.

“When the fires were raging, it was like, 'oh my God'… we had flames into the trees, and the sky went black because the smoke blocked out the sun," he told me.

“I was scared to death, to be honest but it was about protecting people first, and I'm so thankful that no one's been seriously hurt."

He said the significant damage done to trees in the area could take years to recover from.

“I'm hopeful that we'll get some usage of the golf club in the next few weeks, but it's too early to say," Marley added.

The club thanked the emergency services in a statement published on their Facebook page on Friday as well as their members,neighbours and other local golf clubs who have offered them support.

Chloe Hughes
West Midlands

Here is a timeline of how things unfolded, starting on Thursday afternoon.

• 13:30: Fire crews are called to a fire near Stourbridge Golf Course, with the blaze spread across roads and to six properties
• 13:30: In Castle Vale, paramedics are called after homes on the street were badly damaged in a fire, where a part of a roof one building had collapsed and a woman suffered serious injuries
• 16:30: West Mercia Police confirms it is supporting fire crews at fire in Worcestershire after officers were called to Three Springs Road, Pershore

• 17:46: Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service declares a major incident due to a "large fire" at Tothall Lane, Salford Priors, near Alcester.
• 17:49: Reports come in of a large fire in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent
• That evening, West Midlands Fire Service says three firefighters have been taken to hospital, as well as six members of the public treated for the effects of breathing in smoke and one child taken to hospital.

Image source, EPA/Shuttershock

Crews across the region continued to battle fires overnight, into today (Friday).

• 10:30: West Midlands Fire Service says 14 crews were still working in Stourbridge to extinguish hot spots and monitor areas at risk of re-ignition. The situation is described as having "drastically improved"
• 11:11: Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says six firefighters were taken to hospital after attending the fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, as a result of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
• 13:45: A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman are arrested on suspicion of arson, in relation to the fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent
• 14:17: A temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues is issued by the government

• 14:26: Andy Burnham gives a statement from Stourbridge, saying: "I've never seen scenes like this anywhere in Britain", and promises to help fire and rescue services with resources
• 14:38: A 55-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of arson to endanger life after a fire in Kings Norton, Birmingham
• West Midlands Fire Service confirms 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the fire in Stourbridge, with the incident covering about 500 acres