West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has pledged to use his powers to tackle the impact of climate change after meeting families left devastated by massive fires that have torn through neighbourhoods across the region. The pledge comes after a wildfire on a tinder-dry golf course on the edge of Stourbridge engulfed 19 homes and injured ten people.
Mr Parker also urged 'idiots' to stop being complacent and recognise the part everyone has to play in staying safe amid roasting temperatures. He told how a motorist ahead of him heading into fire-hit Stourbridge had casually flicked his cigarette butt out of his window. "Behaviour like that can cause the sort of destruction we have seen here," he said. "People need to follow the advice of the emergency services and understand the impact of their behaviour."
Prime Minister's Visit and Emergency Response
Labour mayor Mr Parker told how he phoned Prime Minister Andy Burnham and encouraged him to come and see for himself the terrifying impact. Together they met affected families and pledged emergency support for local fire services. "I don't think we have ever seen that in Britain before, on that scale," the Prime Minister told BirminghamLive during his visit to Stourbridge.
The Prime Minister referenced the scenes captured by residents and firefighters as being akin to those previously only seen in places like California - and pledged to take urgent steps to support the community and fire service. He chaired an emergency meeting of his Cobra committee and promised immediate action.
Climate Change Wake-Up Call
Speaking to BirminghamLive at the end of the visit, Mr Parker said the shocking impact evident in Stourbridge had been a glaring wake-up call to climate change. "We have seen today the risks that communities like this, and this region, face from wildfires and how quickly they can spread and how much damage they can do and the impact on people's lives," he said.
"The Prime Minister and I met a family that have lost their house and all their belongings. They are still in shock, and it really brings to the front of our minds the impact of climate change and the impact it is going to have on our lives. As the PM said we really do need to get a national response to some of these issues. We also still need to take the case for climate change globally."
Pilot Project and Prevention Measures
Mr Parker described how he is carrying out a climate change pilot project with the Department for the Environment, looking at how the region can encourage and invest in carbon-neutral housing, better infrastructure, and electrified transport systems to aid resilience. "We also need to look at what we need to do in the nearer term to protect communities, including using firebreaks to stop fire spreading so rapidly across open ground and fields...and maintaining hedges and curtilages of buildings that might prevent fire moving so quickly. It is also important to ensure rapid access to water for fire services," he said.
But all residents can play a part. "We need to all behave incredibly responsibly. We need to understand a loose match or flame can cause the sort of damage we have seen. Sometimes that can be a result of complacency but frankly there are also people behaving idiotically too," he added. The fires have caused widespread destruction across the West Midlands, and the visit highlighted the urgent need for both national and local action to address climate change and improve fire resilience.
