An 89-year-old grandmother was rescued from her thatched-roof home in Stourbridge with moments to spare as a devastating wildfire swept through the area on August 13. The blaze, which consumed approximately 500 acres of land, destroyed 19 houses.
The homeowner, who asked not to be named, was the oldest resident to be evacuated from Quarry Park Road. Her daughter reported that an ember from the fire likely landed on the thatch roof, igniting it rapidly.
Witness footage captured the dramatic moments flames engulfed the roof of the property, known locally as Redmays. The house, built in 1934, was one of the few remaining thatched-roof homes in the borough of Dudley and had been a landmark in the community for decades.
"My husband had gone out to look at the fire in the field and as he was walking back up, saw what was happening and ran in," the daughter told the Mail. "The neighbours, two men who I don't know, ran down and got mummy out."
The family has owned Redmays for nearly half a century, and the loss has been devastating. Among the cherished items lost were the ashes of the homeowner's late husband, who died five years prior. The destruction of the home also took an immediate toll on the 89-year-old's health, leading to a heart attack and her subsequent move to a nursing home.
"My mother is nearly 90 and she saved everything, I mean she even saved the top of her wedding cake. She has nothing left," her daughter stated. Heartbreaking images show the extent of the damage, with the twisted wreckage of an Austin 7, a gift from her late husband in the 1960s, still visible in the garage. The only item reportedly salvageable was a small teapot.
It took three days for families to be allowed back to survey the damage to their properties. The daughter described her shock upon seeing the ruins, stating she had initially hoped some rooms might be salvageable for her mother to return to.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire, with suspicions it may have been deliberately started in a nearby farmer's field. A relative of the landowner where the fire originated suggested it was started in multiple locations, making an accidental cause unlikely.