Firefighters battled to keep a fire from reaching Warwick Senior High School last night as the blaze burnt through bush near the school.

The fire, at the corner of Erindale Road and Beach Road, started about 5:30pm and was brought under control by firefighters about 8pm.

It was extinguished by 6am today.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Mark Graham said there had been no damage to any property, but some clearing near the school would be necessary.

“Some trees need to be felled due to stags that had fire in them,” Mr Graham said.

About 15 hectares of bush was burnt in the fire, which is thought to have been stared by a cigarette.

Local woman Jenette McKenna it was rare to see a fire in the area, but people had to be careful in the city and in the bush.

“We have too many of these bushfires. A large percentage of bushfires in the South-West have all been started by arsonists, and that’s a tragedy,” she said.

“They can be completely devastating.”