A MOTHER has praised her quick thinking son after he saved the family home.
Kerry Britten said the house in Hanley Avenue, Bramcote, could have been destroyed by a fire which broke out yesterday afternoon.
She was alerted to the incident by her son Kyle, 12, who saw smoke coming from the house as he arrived home from school.
Mrs Britten, who had gone to pick up her daughter Jenna, six, from Bramcote Church of England Primary School, in Hanley Avenue, praised Kyle for his response.
She said: "It could have been much worse if it wasn't for my son. We were very lucky.
"When he walked in the front door all he saw was smoke. So he ran up to the school to find me.
"I rushed back and went into the kitchen and it was on fire."
Two fire crews were called and quickly stopped the fire from spreading.
The family were all outside while firefighters tackled the flames, which badly damaged the kitchen.
Mrs Britten later realised the fire had been caused by an iron she had left on when she went to pick up her daughter.
She said: "I'll be much more careful from now on."
Mrs Britten said she and her husband Adrian also wanted to thank their neighbours for their support.
"Our friends and neighbours were fantastic," she said.
"They all came out and couldn't do enough for us. One even took care of our dogs while the fire was being put out."
She also praised the fire service who fitted smoke alarms to replace the original ones.
The family stayed with friends in Hanley Avenue last night but were due to move back in today.
Green Watch crew manager Chris Emmott, of Highfields station, said: "There was a fire in progress in the kitchen but thankfully it was contained by the two firefighters who stopped it from spreading throughout the house.
"The iron caused it and fire spread to clothes and then the rest of the kitchen."
He said smoke alarms fitted in the house would have proved vital in alerting neighbours if Kyle had not spotted the smoke.
