The blaze started at 3.30pm in woods just behind Knighton Close, in Pound Hill.

The resident who called out the fire brigade, said: "The flames were really going up by the time I got here and it could have been a horror story if I hadn't been at home.

"The tyres were set alight in the woods but these are just behind the houses here and it could have spread like wildfire and destroyed most of the houses on the estate.

"We get quite a lot of youths hanging around the area and causing trouble.

"On this particular occasion one group of youths actually came and knocked on my door and alerted me to the fire. They said it wasn't them, but when I asked them again they ran off. I'm just glad I was here this time to stop the fire from spreading any further."

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: "We were called to reports that car tyres were alight in Knighton Close. We sent one appliance and the fire was put out."