Cranfield boy, 6, becomes TV star after rescuing brother from house fire

When the blaze broke out in the kitchen, little Rafe Gore remembered exactly what he had been told eight months previously during a visit to the Hazard Alley safety centre.

“The key words were ‘Get Out, Call Out and Stay Out. Rafe remembered them perfectly,” said his mum Toni.

“He grabbed his little brother, pulled him off his chair, and led him outside. He even remembered to pick up the phone ready to dial 999.

“I was busy putting out the flames on the hob and he called to me ‘It’s OK mummy, I’ve got Zach and the phone and we’re going outside’... I was astounded,” said Toni.

She had cooked dinner but forgot to switch off a hob ring. Oven gloves left next to the ring caught fire, causing the kitchen to fill with smoke.

While Rafe and Zach waited safely by the front door, Toni managed to put out the flames herself with minimum damage to her kitchen.

Last week Rafe’s efforts were rewarded with an appearance on BBC1’s One Show to demonstrate how well children can remember Hazard Alley’s safety messages.

“He was great on the show – a real little star,” said Toni.

Jo Green, director of the Milton Keynes Hazard Alley centre, said: “When we heard that Rafe had used his knowledge at such a young age and so many months after he’d visited us on Open Day we were astonished... It just proves how well children can remember.”