New London ― Firefighters made quick work of a potentially dangerous fire discovered Wednesday afternoon in the woods off Ocean Avenue.

The brush fire was reported by a Mitchell College security officer at 1:10 p.m. and found to be burning in an area known as Mitchell Woods, between Ocean and Montauk avenues.

Firefighters arrived to find a column of smoke rising from the woods. The fire was burning in the woods and spreading along the perimeter of the chain-link fence around Gardner Cemetery, Fire Chief Vernon Skau said.

The fire burned less than an acre of woodland and was extinguished in about 10 minutes, Skau said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Because of the extremely dry conditions, Skau said outside fires have the potential to quickly get out of control. Multiple towns throughout the state continue to be plagued by brush fires.