Beighton arson attacks: Teenager who spotted house fire while sat up late playing games at 3.30am saves family

Like countless other 15-year-olds, Kye Gillatt has caught some flak from his mum in the past for staying up into the early hours playing games on the weekend.

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However, mum Stacey is grateful for her son’s night owl habits this week - as he was the only one awake in time to spot a devastating arson attack at their neighbour’s home.

Mum Stacey said: “A fire officer pulled him aside afterwards and said ‘you know you’ve saved that family’s life, right?’

“And he just said ‘no I didn’t, the fire service did’.”

The frightening blaze broke out in an incident at 3.40am on Sunday morning (February 23) on Tynker Avenue, Beighton.

For Kye, who was up playing games, the first sign of trouble was when he heard a ‘pop’ outside.

Mum Stacey told The Star: “He actually looked outside because he thought someone was breaking into a car.

“But out the corner of his vision, in the reflection of a car window on the street, he saw an orange glow.

“He ran into my room and woke me up, saying ‘mum, mum, I think [their neighbour’s] house is on fire.”

Stacey says by the time she ran to Kye’s room to see for herself, the flames were lapping up the side of the house.

What no one knew yet was this was the latest in a suspected string of arson attacks on homes in Beighton and Sothall, where wheelie bins had been pulled alongside houses and set alight.

Videos captured the terrifying blaze.

Stacey said: “I ran over to the house while Kye called 999.

“I ran to their house and saw the wheelie bin. It was propped up against the house and burning. The flames took seconds from Kye alerting me to seeing them spreading up the walls.

“It’s so frightening seeing how quickly it spreads.

“I remember ringing their doorbell again and again, and screaming through the letter box ‘get out, you need to get everyone out’.

“It singed all the hairs on my arm.

“I shudder to think what could have happened if Kye hadn’t spotted it in time.”

The fire service arrived on Tynker Avenue within three minutes of the 999 call.

Because of Kye’s vigilance and Stacey’s efforts to alert her neighbours, the family inside were woken up in time and escaped unharmed through a rear door.

* Meanwhile, a man was arrested yesterday and extra police officers were deployed to Beighton and Sothall following this fire and a number of others.

Police officers suspect 11 incidents from the last year could be linked.

Last night a 42-year-old man was being held on suspicion of criminal damage – arson endangering life.