Stourbridge wildfire: Firefighters faced almost 40-minute wait to refill water carrier

Firefighters in the West Midlands faced delays in accessing water during this summer’s major Stourbridge wildfires, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned.

West Midlands Fire Service experienced ongoing problems with water pressure over several days while crews tackled the wildfire, with the NFCC saying a water carrier took almost 40 minutes to refill at one stage because of reduced pressure.

The incident has been highlighted in a new NFCC report warning that inadequate water supplies are creating growing risks to public safety and affecting firefighters’ ability to respond effectively.

The council said fire hydrants “often” do not provide enough water flow for firefighting, while fire and rescue services have reported delays in installing and repairing hydrants and inconsistencies in how water networks are designed and maintained.

The NFCC is calling for firefighting water supplies to be recognised as a critical public safety requirement, alongside greater accountability and performance measures for water companies.

It warned that climate change, drought, population growth, new housing developments and emerging infrastructure such as data centres and battery energy storage systems are placing additional pressure on an already stretched water network.

Fire services have also raised concerns about inconsistent engagement from water companies and rising costs for hydrant maintenance and replacement. The NFCC said installation and maintenance charges increased by an average of 85% between 2014 and 2024.

NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan said the Stourbridge wildfires demonstrated the operational difficulties caused by water pressure problems.

“Firefighters cannot fight fires without water,” he said, adding that crews should be able to rely on having access to the water they need to protect people and property.

Mr Garrigan added: “We saw the impact of these challenges during the Stourbridge wildfires, where issues with water pressure created additional operational difficulties for crews tackling a major incident.

“The demands on fire and rescue services are growing, with larger wildfires, extreme weather and increasingly complex risks.

“As the task becomes more challenging, the very least firefighters should be able to rely on is access to the water they need to protect people and property.”