00:00So welcome to Pedmore in Styrbridge and I'm with Claire, a local resident.
00:04Tell us how the fire unfolded then from your perspective.
00:07So I lived about a mile up the road in Hagley.
00:10About lunchtime, started to smell smoke.
00:13I popped out to get something from the shops and could just see thick black smoke everywhere.
00:19My dad just lives opposite the golf course, so he was in a bit of a panic.
00:24And then mid-afternoon I got a call from my dad.
00:26He'd been evacuated from his apartment.
00:29So I then had to drive round.
00:31All the roads were closed, so it was quite difficult to get to him.
00:34But everywhere was just smoke, ash falling on my car as I drove him back.
00:38And yeah, just absolutely devastated for the people that's been impacted.
00:43What was the heat like when it was on and the smoke?
00:45Was it really strong?
00:46Yeah, well I was in the car with the air conditioner on, so I couldn't really feel the heat.
00:49But you could smell the smoke and it was thick, really black smoke.
00:55As I say, just ash had bits falling down all around.
00:59So yeah, it was really, really severe.
01:01It's just the devastation of it.
01:03It's just terrible to drive past and see.
01:06I mean, it's beautiful houses, beautiful streets.
01:09I can't remember ever seeing anything like this before.
01:11No, apparently it started in the fields that are the other side of there.
01:15So quite a way.
01:17And it took the fields.
01:19But the wind was so strong as well.
01:21So the wind just carried it from house to house, basically.
01:25So yeah, it's awful.
01:26And we have Laurie now, another local resident.
01:29Tell us your experience of the pyre.
01:31I suppose just the same as everyone else's, just unbelievable.
01:36Literally couldn't believe it was happening on our doorstep.
01:40I live just a couple of streets the other side of this road.
01:44And I'd just got back from work, heard there was a fire close by.
01:48So we came down to have a look to see if we could see anything.
01:52And literally saw it right here by the side of the road.
01:55So we just jumped in our car and left the area straight away.
01:59So where did you go somewhere for the night?
02:01We have family over in Rowley Regis.
02:03So we went across there.
02:05And then it was really hard to try and ascertain reliably what was happening back here.
02:11I mean, we knew it was close to our house.
02:14We knew it was affecting these houses here.
02:17But we couldn't find out accurately sort of where it was and whether our street might be affected.
02:24So there was a really nerve-wracking few hours.
02:28And then we decided later on that night that we would just try and get back home if we could.
02:33We'd seen on the news that it seemed to have gone north up towards the race course.
02:37So we were hoping that it hadn't come across into the estate.
02:41And we did manage to get home.
02:42And it's upsetting for me.
02:45Oh, it just must be absolutely horrendous for them.
02:48So, yeah, if it's any reassurance to them, I think everyone's thinking about them and trying to do whatever we
02:55can practically to help as well.
02:57Well, thank you for your kind thoughts.
02:58No problem at all.
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