A fire that consumed 19 homes in Stourbridge has been officially classified as accidental, according to the West Midlands Fire Service.
Investigators determined that the fires began in fields where farming equipment was in operation immediately prior to the first reports of the blaze. The initial fire was reported around 1:27 PM BST on August 13 near Racecourse Lane, with a second fire starting shortly thereafter in a field adjacent to Quarry Park Road.
Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill stated that the service wished to confirm the fires were not intentionally set, given the significant number of individuals affected. "They were accidental," he said.