A LITTLE four-year-old girl from Cowdenbeath has been hailed a hero after helping to save her mummy from a house fire.

Hollie Aitken was praised by impressed firefighters after she raised the alarm when a blaze ripped through their Arthur Street home on Wednesday January 15.

Relieved dad Kevin, 27, who was at work when he received the "terrifying" call about their plight, said: "It's amazing that my wee girl saved the day, we're so proud of her.

"The fire started out the back and my missus, Siobhian, was in the bath at the time.

"Hollie had gone downstairs to get one of her toys and saw the fire coming through the French doors and into the livingroom.

"She ran upstairs to tell her mum and they managed to get out of the house as the fire service came."

Kevin, who works for construction company Nelson Groundworks, continued: "I was at work in Whitburn when I got the phonecall saying the house is on fire. It was horrible.

"Siobhian had called the fire brigade and then called me from the bathroom.

"I was screaming down the phone to tell them to get out of the house."

The fire began to develop, involving a bin and garden furniture at the back door. 

Two appliances from Lochgelly Fire Station were quickly on the scene and crews worked to extinguish the flames, limiting the damage to the back patio and rear of the property. 

Kevin said: "She's a very intelligent wee girl and I couldn't believe what she did. 

"If she didn't act straight away or froze, who knows what could have happened."

"They were really impressed with Hollie's actions and asked her to come for a tour of the fire station in Lochgelly.

"They're going to visit her Cowdenbeath nursery class too."

This week, firefighters at Lochgelly welcomed Hollie and mum Siobhian Mullen, 25, to the station for a tour and to thank the youngster for her bravery on the day.

Kevin said: “Hollie had such a fantastic time visiting the station, sitting in the fire engine and getting a shot of the hose. The firefighters were brilliant.

“We can’t thank them enough. Hollie’s not stopped talking about it all since.”

Watch Commander Jenny Murray, who was part of the crew from Lochgelly who turned out to tackle the fire, said: “We were delighted to welcome Hollie and her mum Siobhian to the station for a tour, and to meet some of our firefighters who attended on the day.

“She was such a wee character, going around and shaking hands with everyone, and she really made our day.

“It was important that we thanked and recognised Hollie for her actions. While the home did have a working smoke alarm fitted, it would appear that as the livingroom door was shut it had not yet activated.

“Instead, Hollie’s brave, instinctive and quick-thinking actions allowed those inside the house to quickly and safely evacuate, and for the early intervention from the fire and rescue service to prevent further damage to the property.”

Asked how the family are now, Kevin said: "When we go shopping now, Hollie's been pointing out the fire exits in the supermarket and she's been drawing fire engines at nursery.

"I think she's a bit traumatised, she doesn't want to leave our side.

"Siobhian's definitely shaken up too.

"We've been in the house five years. It's badly damaged so we're staying with my parents just now.

"It's a waiting game until we get it fixed."

WC Murray added: “Incidents such as this also highlight the importance of having a fire escape plan at home. It doesn’t take long to make a plan and it could save lives in the event of a fire, especially if you check and practice your escape plan regularly.

“We offer everyone in Scotland a free home fire safety visit, in which we will help you sort out a fire escape plan and provide information about smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms.”