Prime Minister Burnham Visits Fire-Hit Town, Urges Clean Energy Transition

Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Stourbridge on Friday, a town where a wildfire destroyed 19 homes and damaged 18 others.

Smoke rose from the ruins of roofless houses as firefighters sprayed wreckage. Burnham described the scene as shocking, linking the combustible situation to climate change and emphasizing the need for a faster transition to clean energy. Britain aims for zero-carbon electricity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Burnham warned against outdoor fires, announcing a ban on selling disposable barbecue equipment.

The ban comes as the country experienced its hottest day of the year so far, with 37 blazes nationwide. Residents were evacuated and treated for smoke inhalation. One firefighter was hospitalized, and five others sustained minor injuries. In Staffordshire, six firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. The West Midlands ambulance service treated 68 people for smoke inhalation on Thursday, hospitalizing 25.

The region, along with nearly three-quarters of England, is experiencing drought due to high temperatures and low rainfall. A Scottish Labour MP called on Burnham to rule out approval for the Rosebank oil and gas field, citing the need to accelerate renewables. Burnham also planned to commission firefighting planes and warned smokers about the tinderbox conditions.