Several homes affected by central England wildfire, fire service says

LONDON, Aug 13 - A major grass fire in Stourbridge, central England, has affected six properties and left two people suffering from the effects of heat and smoke, emergency services said on Thursday.Aerial pictures from a Sky News helicopter showed at least three properties ablaze close to the fire about 127 miles (204.4km) from London.West Midlands Fire Service said the fire was affecting a number of locations around Ounty John Lane, Racecourse Lane and Stourbridge Road and that it had increased resources at the scene.Some local rail services were halted for safety reasons and a number of nearby properties were experiencing power issues, the fire service said.About 60 firefighters were tackling the blaze. There was no further information on injuries or the extent of the damage. REUTERS