Firefighters in Handsworth battled a blaze that began as a grass fire and spread to a single-storey shop unit on Aston Lane. West Midlands Fire Service received the first call at 4:06 pm on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and dispatched multiple crews to contain the incident.
Fire Spread from Grass to Shop
The fire ignited on a patch of grass, then extended to a fence before reaching the rear of the shop. Crews from Aston, Woodgate Valley, and Handsworth responded initially, with a fourth pump from Perry Barr later arriving to assist. By evening, the fire was extinguished, and firefighters remained on site to dampen down and remove hot spots.
Emergency Response and Aftermath
A fire control room operator stated: “We had our first call at 4.06pm. We sent two appliances from Aston and Woodgate Valley, they were in the area at the time. Crews then increased that to a third pump from Handsworth at 4.15pm and a fourth pump from Perry Barr at 4.45pm.” The operator added that the fire is out and crews are “dampening down and turning over ground to make sure that there's no flare ups.” The incident involved a grass fire that spread to fencing and slightly affected a single-storey shop unit.
Ongoing Operations
As of the latest update, three appliances were still at the scene dealing with hot spots. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the grass fire is under investigation. The fire service continues to monitor the area to prevent any re-ignition.
