A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital after a wildfire tore through homes in Stourbridge, England, as the country became the latest in a growing list of European nations battling major blazes during an exceptionally hot summer. The fire, described by officials as one of the most serious incidents the region's fire service has ever handled, damaged at least six properties, while six further people were treated for smoke inhalation.
The blaze broke out during the hottest day of 2026 recorded in England, though temperatures were expected to ease only slightly on Friday, 14 August 2026, with highs still reaching the low-to-mid 30s Celsius.
How did the fire spread in the West Midlands?
West Midlands Fire Service said crews were making progress overnight but described the damage as extensive. Chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze, which forced residents to flee as flames tore through homes, ranked among the most significant incidents his service has ever dealt with. A Friday morning update from the service said crews were tactically working across several different areas of the site as they continued to bring the fire under control.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was in contact with local leaders, including West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, and would be speaking directly with emergency services on the ground. He wrote:
I'm in touch with local leaders like [West Midlands Mayor] Richard Parker and will be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response.
Our firefighters are working in incredibly difficult conditions and putting themselves at risk to keep others safe. A huge thank you to them and everyone supporting the effort tonight.
Please stay safe and follow their advice.
What is happening in France?
Across the Channel, France braced for another day of extreme heat after temperatures reached 41C on Thursday. More than 500 people were evacuated from the Landes region in the southwest as fire crews worked to contain the flames.
The latest evacuations follow a pattern seen throughout the summer. In late July, more than 20,000 people fled wildfires in France as extreme heat gripped southern Europe and a marine heatwave struck the Mediterranean. Days later, gale-force winds pushed flames deeper into Greece's Attica region while a major blaze in Provence remained active. According to the outlet euronews, the Aude fire near Carcassonne stayed under control overnight, though a separate blaze near Mont-Frieux in Pas-de-Calais was still burning into Friday morning, with further updates expected from French fire services later in the day.
Why were tourists evacuated by sea in Greece?
In Halkidiki, hundreds of tourists were evacuated as firefighters battled a large blaze whipped up by gale-force winds. According to a report from euronews, around 500 tourists were moved into small boats, coast guard vessels and fire brigade craft near the resort of Siviri after officials judged that evacuating by road would be too dangerous.
Greece remains under its highest nationwide wildfire alert, according to the same report, following an earlier blaze near Athens this month that killed two helicopter crew members and burned 110 square kilometres of forest. That earlier fire was reported in our coverage of the UK's hottest day of the year alongside wind-fuelled wildfires in Greece, when the Met Office confirmed a provisional 38.1C at Kew Gardens on 13 August 2026.
How severe is the situation in Croatia?
The number of people injured in the Croatian fire near the tourist town of Omiš has risen to 36, with about 1,000 people evacuated. Fourteen people were hospitalised and seven sustained life-threatening injuries, according to .
Goran Lović, the owner of a cafe near where the fire broke out in Lokva Rogoznica, described the speed with which the flames took hold:
Everything flared up in a second. It just happened all of a sudden, there was an open flame in the part where there is a forest and no houses.
According to euronews, the blaze destroyed homes and vehicles in Lokva Rogoznica, and at least 1,000 displaced residents were sheltered in a sports hall in nearby Omiš. Most of those affected are believed to be tourists, with many reporting missing documents, the local Red Cross said. Tomislav Gojo of the Split Red Cross told the newspaper Jutarnji List:
I haven't experienced anything like this in 15 years.
What is unfolding in Germany?
Around 1,800 people were forced to leave their homes overnight in western Germany as a wildfire spread rapidly near the Belgian and Dutch borders, officials said on Friday, according to AFP. Helicopters and army equipment were deployed to help firefighters contain the blaze.
A district of the town of Hürtgenwald was evacuated after the fire expanded from 25 hectares to 300 hectares by Friday morning. Euronews reported that the fire's rapid growth prompted the large-scale deployment of military resources overnight.
How much of Europe has already burned this summer?
The scale of this summer's fires has been building for weeks. Earlier reporting described wildfires devastating southern Europe and forcing mass evacuations amid record heat, with blazes across France, Spain, Portugal and Greece prompting officials to impose restrictions, including a spectator ban along parts of the Tour de France route.
According to the European Union's Joint Research Centre, 554,788 hectares had burned across the EU by 12 August 2026. The centre's fire-risk forecast for 13–19 August showed very extreme conditions across parts of Germany, the Alpine region, Poland and the Balkans, with additional risk pockets over southern Great Britain, Ireland, northern France and southern Sweden.
What happens next?
Fire services across several countries are expected to issue further updates as conditions evolve. In France, the blaze near Mont-Frieux in Pas-de-Calais remained active into Friday morning even as the Aude fire near Carcassonne stayed under control, meaning additional operational updates from French fire services are anticipated later on 14 August 2026. In the UK, crews in the West Midlands said they were continuing to work tactically across the affected site, with further assessments of the damage likely as the blaze is brought fully under control.
- A child and three firefighters were hospitalised after the Stourbridge wildfire, which damaged at least six properties.
- 36 people were injured in the Croatian fire near Omiš, with 14 hospitalised and seven in life-threatening condition.
- Around 500 tourists were evacuated by sea from Halkidiki, Greece, after road evacuation was deemed too dangerous.
- 1,800 people were evacuated overnight in Hürtgenwald, Germany, as a fire grew from 25 to 300 hectares.
- 554,788 hectares had burned across the EU by 12 August 2026, according to the Joint Research Centre.
