17/08/2026
Volunteer first aiders and healthcare professionals from St John Ambulance have been supporting residents affected by recent wildfires in the West Midlands.
Working alongside partner agencies, St John Ambulance volunteers provided first aid, welfare support, and reassurance to residents impacted by the incident. The response included support at two rest centres in the Stourbridge area and a rest centre in Pershore, Worcestershire.
Philip McCahill, Regional On-Call Manager for St John Ambulance, said “Our volunteers are proud to support local communities during this challenging incident. We would like to offer our sincere sympathy to all those affected and thank all those involved in the multi-agency response for their professionalism and commitment.”
Hannah Foulkes, Network Lead for Dudley and Sandwell Network, said: “The response has been very much a network-wide effort, with volunteers stepping up to support affected communities with only 10 minutes’ notice.”
Volunteers from across the West Midlands were mobilised as part of the wider multi-agency response, working alongside the emergency services, Dudley Local Authority, British Red Cross, Birmingham and Black Country Integrated Care Board and the REACT disaster and response charity. They remained on hand to assist members of the public affected by evacuations and ongoing disruption.
St John Ambulance will continue to work with partners to support communities affected by the wildfires, helping residents access first aid, welfare support and reassurance when they need it most.
