FIREFIGHTERS battled for three hours yesterday to prevent a scrub fire spiralling out of control.

Crews from St Albans Fire Station were called to land near How Wood railway station at about 7.20pm.

A large pile of wood chippings – estimated at about four tonnes – was ablaze, sending plumes of smoke pouring into the evening sky.

Flames then began spreading to surrounding bracken, which had been left tinder dry by the recent hot weather, and other trees and shrubbery.

Firefighters, who, without a constant water supply had no effective way of putting the flames out, created a series of firebreaks to prevent the fire from spreading – to surrounding woodland or the St Albans to Watford railway line.

Crew Commander Simon Lincoln explained: “We had to walk about half-a-mile down from the train station so we didn’t have a constant water supply. As soon as the fire got to the bracken the flames were jumping six and seven feet in the air.

“We had to cut away a lot of the surrounding branches and bracken to stop the flames from spreading any further. If we hadn’t done that then things could have been a lot worse.”

The woodchip, which is thought to have been put in place to block access to private land, will now be left to burn itself out – a process that could take up to four days.

Firefighters, however, are warning people to be vigilant in the unusually hot and dry conditions.

Crew Commander Lincoln added: “People should be very careful about discarded cigarettes and even glass bottles. They can magnify the sun and easily start fires. We’ve had quite a few around the county recently and we want to prevent them form starting. People should be vigilant and call us if they spot anything.”

Crews are reported to be back on the scene this morning.