A SECOND large fire within a month on the Malvern Hills destroyed thirty acres of grassland and undergrowth.

More than fifty fire fighters from across the Three Counties tackled two fires just south-east of the Worc-estershire Beacon.

The fires broke out on Monday morning, the first day of the half-term holidays.

A third, larger blaze, covering about 25 acres, ignited in the same area at around 6pm.

Dry bracken on the hills makes the area susceptible to grass fires. The fires sometimes smoulder underground before reappearing.

Worcestershire and Here-fordshire fire service spokes-man Alec Mackie said: "It's very, very dry up there, as it is everywhere. We haven't had any heavy or substantial rain for the past two months."

But he warned: "One can't discount that the fire was started deliberately."

The fires came less than a month after another large blaze on the Hills required 90 firefighters to battle with flames.

Malvern Hills Conservators' director Ian Rowat said he was suspicious that the fires were arson because they were all on the same side of the Hills, perhaps to attract maximum attention.

"These fires were in roughly the same place as the last one," said Mr Rowat.

"It seems very coincidental that they are always above Malvern. If they were accidental then why isn't the west side burning more? It's the same habitat of bracken and dry grass."

Malvern police said the fire service had not reported any suspicious activity and that they were not investigating arson.

The Wyche Road was partly closed while the fires were put out and crews stayed on the Hills on Tuesday to monitor the situation.