Mum hails her son a hero in fire rescue

A TEENAGE girl trapped in a blazing tent is so traumatised by her ordeal she becomes "hysterical" when confronted with anything to do with fire.

Jess Stevens, 15, cannot cope with any reminder of the shocking fire which put her and cousin Melissa Arnold, 12, in hospital on Sunday, said her father Paul.

He said: "If there is a fire on the television she goes hysterical, if she sees a fireman she goes hysterical."

Both had repressed the memory of the blaze, such was the force of its terror, the 43-year-old added.

"I have asked them both what happened and they can't remember a thing, they have blocked it out and put it to the back of their minds. It is a very traumatic thing for them.

"My daughter can't look at fire - she has flashbacks because of what has happened."

Melissa's mother Deborah said her niece had "blocked the complete incident out of her mind. She saw another fire being reported on the television and she got really upset."

The girls were rushed to Birmingham Children's Hospital

and both needed surgery as a result of Sunday's fire, which started at about 12.55pm in the back garden of the Arnolds' Woodbury Road, home in Kidderminster.

Seven children were in the tent at the time and the blaze is thought to have been started by a lighter, which they were attempting to refill.

But their injuries could have been a lot worse had it not been for the bravery of Melissa's 16-year-old brother Pip, his family said.

Recalling the horror, Mrs Arnold said she heard "screaming" and turned to see "a flame come straight up the middle of the tent".

The other children quickly deserted the fiery tent but the distraught mum soon realised her daughter and niece, of nearby Dowles Road, had not escaped.

She said: "Pip ran into the the tent and pushed them out the back. They jumped into the swimming pool but they couldn't stay in because of the stinging. So they got out and I ran straight to the phone and called an ambulance.

"He is our little hero, if it wasn't for him and I had been here on my own, they would have been more seriously injured. He deserves a medal."

Pip suffered minor burns along with some of the other children who were in the tent.

Only Melissa, who attends Birchen Coppice Middle School, and Jess, who goes to Baxter College, required hospital treatment.

Mrs Arnold said: "Melissa took the full force of the flame, her complete face is burnt along with her arms. She went in for three hours of surgery.

"Jessica is doing fantastic. She has a few burns on her face, both arms and her back but she is doing brilliant.

"They are both being a bit cheeky so that proves to me that they are doing well. Hopefully because of how young they are they won't be (permanently scarred) so we are just keeping our fingers crossed."

Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade has already released a statement warning people not to use naked flames near a tent and Mrs Arnold said the incident served as a warning to others.

She said: "Do not leave children at any age alone in tents. This has shown that when there is a gang of children together, running around and having a laugh, they forget about safety first."