A four-year-old boy and his friends have been hailed as heroes after raising the alarm about a fire which could have led to tragedy.
Conner White dashed to get help after he and his friends Cornell Williams (6), Mckenzie Williams (8) and Taylor Nelson (8) noticed smoke coming from an outhouse at about 5pm on Monday.
Their quick-thinking actions meant the fire was stopped from spreading into Conner’s semi-detached home in Delgate Avenue, Weston.
Neighbour Terrence Stupple said: “As far as we’re concerned, they’re all little heroes. It could have been very serious.”
Conner’s mum Danielle, who has a broken foot, was inside the house with his 21-month-old sister Amy and grandmother Rose when the fire started.
She said: “The boys came running in and said the outhouse was on fire. I said it was just the condensation from the tumble drier and not to worry.
“They came back in again so I went out. I opened the outhouse door and it was full of thick black smoke. I didn’t think at the time that I shouldn’t go in.”
Conner, who is still at pre-school, then ran to a neighbour for help when it was realised the tumble drier had caught fire.
Terrence and other neighbours Dana Williams and Danny Walker came to his aid before two fire crews from Spalding arrived on the scene. They found the fire had been caused by an element overheating.
Baby Amy and Terrence were treated at the scene by paramedics for smoke inhalation.
Terrence said: “If the house had gone up then it would have got my property as well. My wife Julie is bedridden and my 83-year-old mother Pamela was downstairs.
“It could have been tragic.”
The boys’ actions have also earned praise from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.
Prevention and protection group manager Sean Taylor said: “There’s no doubt about it, this little boy has saved lives with his quick thinking.
“It must have been a frightening situation for him but he kept his cool and did exactly the right thing.
“It’s the kind of behaviour we’d look for in a new recruit and would welcome his application when he turns 18! His mum deserves to be very proud of her little hero.
“We do a lot of work with schools to help young children understand the risks of fire and what to do if they encounter one.
“We hope this will result in even more youngsters like Conner.”