A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy has been grounded for a month after causing two near-disasters in one day.

On Wednesday night, Kieron Palmer set the curtains of his bedroom on fire after climbing on a breakfast bar to reach a lighter that had been placed on a fridge freezer.

Earlier the same day, he came close to causing an explosion when he turned on all the gas rings of a cooker, which, luckily, were not ignited.

Yesterday, his mother, Amanda Price, 29, from Raby Road, in Hartlepool, said she could not believe how close her family had come to tragedy.

She said she and her fiance, Colin Rowbotham, were enjoying a bath at about 8.15pm on Wednesday, believing her three young children were in bed.

However, Kieron shouted that his bedroom curtains were on fire and within minutes the first floor of the house was filled with smoke.

Yesterday, Mr Rowbotham, 39, was hailed as a hero by firefighters, after he twice returned to the blazing home to rescue five-year-old Carolann Palmer and 18-month-old Anthony Palmer, who were asleep in bed.

"I jumped out of the bath and put my boxer shorts on and just made a dash upstairs to grab the kids," he said.

"I grabbed Anthony first and took him outside, and then ran back up to get Carolann, who was still asleep.

"There was thick smoke as I came up the stairs and I couldn't see a thing.

"I thought I was going to collapse the second time, but I knew there was another kid up there so I had to do it.

"I'm not a hero. I did what anybody else would do."

All of the family were taken to the University Hospital of Hartlepool for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Both Carolann and Mr Rowbotham were detained overnight for observation but were released yesterday.

Ms Price said: "While it was happening, I did think that the kids might not get out in time.

"We have a triple safety gate at the top of the stairs and I didn't think Colin would be able to get it open in the thick smoke.

"Kieron knows what he did was very bad. He's not getting anything now until he learns to behave."

And Kieron, who attends West View Primary School, promised never to play with fire again.

He said: "I burned my curtains with a lighter. I was playing with the lighter. I got a big shock."

Hartlepool fire station's Steve Harll praised Mr Rowbotham, and the fact the family had smoke alarms.

He said: "I would definitely say his actions were heroic. He was very brave."