Fires prompt national government alert as 19 Stourbridge homes destroyed

Fires across England and Wales have prompted a national government alert warning people not to light anything that could spark a wildfire. The warning on Friday evening came as it was revealed 19 homes were destroyed and a further 18 damaged in a huge fire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, that spread rapidly through grass and woodland on Thursday before damaging homes. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told members of the public to take the warning "seriously", adding it was triggered at the request of firefighters. West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with. It was one of several fires being dealt with across England and Wales on Friday. Investigators said they were working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, with police saying they were keeping an open mind. Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off and many residents who were evacuated, including the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, have not been able to return home. The prime minister visited Stourbridge earlier and described the scene as "devastat