A major incident has been declared after a large fire broke out in Salford Priors, Stratford-upon-Avon, on Thursday, with residents urged to close all doors and windows and stay away from the area. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called at around 2:30 PM after reports of a large plume of smoke on Tothall Lane in Salford Priors. On arrival, firefighters discovered a wildfire spreading to nearby outbuildings.

Ten fire appliances are currently attending the incident. West Midlands Ambulance Service and Warwickshire Police are also at the scene.

The fire service said there was a large emergency presence in the area and urged nearby residents to take precautions. It also warned that its control room was receiving a large number of calls and asked people to contact emergency services only in a genuine emergency.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, an extensive grass fire near Stourbridge golf course prompted another major emergency response.

Around 60 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the Racecourse Lane area after it was reported shortly before 1:30 PM. The fire impacted six properties, with multiple houses catching fire and people evacuated from their homes.

Two people were affected by heat and smoke, while care home residents were also evacuated. Stourbridge town hall was opened as a rescue centre for displaced residents.

West Midlands Fire Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” and warned residents to keep doors and windows closed if smoke was affecting their homes or workplaces.

The fire also caused disruption on the M6 northbound near Birmingham, where the motorway was closed between junctions 5 and 6 because thick smoke was blowing across the carriageway. Delays reached up to two hours.

A separate large fire was also reported in the Goldenhill area of Stoke-on-Trent, where a small number of residents were evacuated from Sandy Road. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service warned that further evacuations could take place.