Hill fire seen from a distance (6)
I believe the answer is:
beacon
'hill fire seen from a distance' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for beacon that I've seen before include "Guiding light?" , "Signal-fire" , "Fire on a hill, lit as a signal" , "Warning light on hill or cliff" , "Raised signal fire or light" .)