Firefighters heaped praise on a boy who helped battle a blaze at his home by remembering tips from TV's Fireman Sam.

Reilly Fleming,11, was getting ready for school after his parents left for work, when he noticed a greenhouse adjoining to the family home ablaze.

He dialled 999 and alerted his neighbours in Cornwallis Avenue, Folkestone, before waiting at the top of the road to direct the crew to his home after the fire broke out on Wednesday at 8.15am.

Vic Thorogood, Folkestone station leader who was in charge of the incident, said: “Reilly was brilliant and told me he had learnt what to do in such events from watching Fireman Sam on TV when he was little - his actions really saved the day.

“Our crew thinks Reilly deserves a big Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) pat on the back for his swift actions.”

The crew tackled the fire with a hose reel while wearing breathing apparatus.

Once extinguished, a KFRS fire control operator got in touch with Reilly’s mum, Michelle, to let her know what had a happened and Reilly was safe.

Michelle rushed home from her primary school teacher job where a crew gave her advice.

Michelle said: “Reilly was so amazing and far more cool, calm and collected than I think I would have been in that situation. If he hadn’t spotted the fire, and acted so quickly, it could easily have spread to our home. We’re so proud of him.

“The fire crew were so quick in dealing with the fire and also in reassuring me and calming me down too, which I was very grateful for.”

The cause of the fire is believed to have been heat from small electric fan heater within the green house, that been switched on accidentally, setting fire to some boxes.