The fire broke out at Portway Hill on the Rowley Hills with 30 firefighters from West Midlands Fire Service sent to the scene. The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust confirmed it had badly affected land at the Portway Hill Nature Reserve and its staff would be "working hard to facilitate nature's recovery across the site". The trust said: "Portway Hill is carefully managed by our Conservation Officers with the support of dedicated volunteers. The fire broke out on Rowley Hill on Wednesday (July 29) with several crews working to extinguish the blaze. The A4123 Wolverhampton Road was closed both ways between Tower Road and Portway Road in Oldbury causing heavy congestion whilst emergency services dealt with the fire.