People evacuated as blaze rages through a house in Small Heath

A raging fire engulfed a house in Wordsworth Road, Small Heath, which forced emergency services to evacuate local residents as 26 firefighters battled to bring the inferno under control this afternoon (15 January).

West Midlands Fire Service responded to the emergency call shortly after 4pm on Saturday.

A terraced property in Wordsworth Road, near Small Heath Park in Birmingham, was the scene of a severe fire which required 5 fire engines and 26 firefighters to tackle the blaze.

Fire crews from Billesley, Highgate, Ward End and Hay Mills rushed to the scene as the call came through to tackle the serious blaze at a residence in Wordsworth Road. The fire teams were at the scene within 5 minutes and the street was immediately cordoned off as firefighters prepared to tackle the blaze.

The fire, described as “severe” by emergency services, struck an upstairs bedroom at the rear of the property and then spread to the attic.

Firefighters, some wearing breathing apparatus, bravely tackled the fire and tried to prevent it from spreading to other homes.

West Midlands Ambulance Service, including police, and a British Red Cross emergency vehicle were also spotted at the scene. A gas engineer was also called in to ensure the property’s energy sources were made safe as fire crews attended the blaze.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service, said: “We received the call at 4.16pm to reports of a fire in Wordsworth Road in Small Heath. There were reports of persons inside.

“We sent five appliances to the scene along with the hydraulic platform.

“When we arrived we found one person had left the property and 12 to 16 people were evacuated from properties either side.

“This was a severe fire in a first floor back bedroom. Eight firefighters with breathing apparatus tackled the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated.”

The fire was reportedly so severe that fire crews were still dealing with the incident until after 7pm as the blaze torched the roof of the building.

The fire service appealed to motorists to avoid the area: “Our drone has been deployed to detect and show the spread of the fire.

“Please try and stay clear of the area due to emergency services requiring access.”