FIRE crews had to tackle a blaze on the Malvern Hills after controlled burning got out of hand.

Four appliances and two off-road vehicles attended the fire, which spread across one hectare (2.5 acres) of the Worcestershire Beacon shortly after 11am yesterday.

Malvern Hills Conservators director Ian Rowat said a team had been clearing gorse which had been flattened across a footpath up the hill during snowfall last month.

"They had to cut it down and made it into a pile, which then caught on fire and spread across the area," he said. "We were surprised it did catch alight because it has been so wet recently."

Malvern sub-officer Chris George said the team of about 20 firefighters caught the fire early enough to stop it spreading and becoming a more serious incident.

"We got to it quickly and were able to surround it when it was still a fairly moderate size," he said. "It's vital to attend something like this quickly. It took us about three hours to make sure it was fully out, but the speed you get there can make the difference between needing just a few pumps, or many more and being there for several days."