Stourbridge fire which destroyed 19 houses and left 25 in hospital was started accidentally in field

A HUGE fire, that burned down nineteen homes and left 25 people in hospital, was started accidentally in a nearby field. Families were forced to evacuate as the fire spread across Stourbridge, West Midlands, on August 13. Nineteen homes were destroyed in the devastating blaze Credit: x.com/@M4ttNoodles Families were evacuated from their homes as the fire spread to their gardens Credit: Sky News Investigators have now established that the inferno was sparked by farming equipment. The fire first broke out near Racecourse Lane in the afternoon with equipment being used in the fields nearby just before the blaze erupted. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Doorbell footage captured by one heartbroken family revealed the extent of the devastation. Richard and Rose-Anne Vinten only moved into their home five months before the fire broke out. Homes were entirely gutted by the fire Credit: Getty Fire and smoke could be seen for miles as the flames tore through the estate Credit: King4ADay_UK via Storyful But, their new house is one of dozens destroyed or damaged by the wildfire. Shocking video released by the couple showed their garden catching alight with just a few flames. Moments later an inferno was in full force as their house was engulfed by the blaze. West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the fire spread over more than 500 acres in Stourbridge. Most read in The Sun He confirmed 19 properties were gutted, with drone footage showing homes completely destroyed and covered in ash. Horrifying aerial footage shows the blaze ripping through a 40-acre residential area, destroying homes and gardens. Local resident Jane Baxter said she could see the flames from her “bedroom window” and described the “horrendous” choking smell in the air. She and neighbours were given a few minutes to gather their belongings before fleeing, with the blaze just 200 yards away. A rescue centre was set up nearby for the families who were forced to flee their homes. Stourbridge councillor Andrew Tromans said at the time: “The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act. “It is my view, and it has been for a while, that Dudley councillors must have an emergency meeting about [how] we protect our borough from the impacts of climate change.” Dozens of firefighters were scrambled to fight the blaze, which took hours to bring under control. Police launched an investigation into the cause of the Stourbridge inferno, with reports of it starting in a nearby grassland before spreading to homes. West Midlands Fire Service has now been confirmed that the blaze was started by farm equipment.