FIREFIGHTERS in West Penwith battled a fierce gorse blaze fuelled by high winds on Valentine's Day.

Three crews from Penzance and St Just were called out to put out an eight hectare area in Pendeen. The spreading blaze came within a few hundred yards from one house, causing concern for its safety but there was no immediate fear for residents.

Fire fighter Lee Medlin, from Penzance station, was among the first at the scene.

He said: "It was a controlled fire lit by local people to burn gorse off for farming purposes but it went out of control because of the strong winds.

"We were concerned about a house but we managed to deal with the fire before it got too close to it.

"We thought we'd need to protect it but the fire was put out before it reached it."

It took four hours for three crews using beaters to put the fire out.

Cornwall Fire Brigade responded to several other gorse fires in the west of the county at the weekend.