A YOUNG mum carrying her five-year-old son ran by a blazing door during a double arson attack in Derby.
Terrified Pamela Crews clutched her son Kenzie while partner Richard Knapton screamed at them to get out of the house.
Mr Knapton said he used saucepans of water to douse the flames as they engulfed the front door of the family home in Allenton.
Less than 45 minutes later, a garage and shed were gutted at the back of an empty property less than a mile away.
At that incident, in Baker Street, Alvaston, Nicola Halstead spoke of her terror when she saw flames rising more than 50ft at her neighbour's home yards away from her house, where her 20-month-old son Leo was asleep.
Police are linking the incidents and treating both as arson. Detectives are working with the fire service to find out how they were started. A 26-year-old local man has been arrested and was last night being held in custody for questioning.
Mr Knapton said that the drama unfolded at his home in Kettlewell Close, close to Harvey Road, at 3.15am yesterday. The 24-year-old and Miss Crews were woken by the smoke alarm.
He said: "It was terrifying, the most horrible thing in the world to see. There were flames shooting through the letterbox.
"Pamela grabbed Kenzie and started coming down the stairs, she was petrified, screaming. I ran into the kitchen and filled a saucepan with water which I threw at the door handle to cool it.
"I grabbed and opened the door and told Pamela to run out with Kenzie while I carried on putting the fire out. The whole of the front door on the outside was alight and they had to run past it.''
Mr Knapton said he put out the flames as fire engines arrived. Around 45 minutes later the second property was targeted by arsonists.
Miss Halstead, 25, said she, partner Simon Tooth and her son Leo were in their house when she awoke at 4am.
She said: "I walked into Leo's room and I could see flames coming from next door. The garage was alight and it had started to spread to the neighbouring shed, trees and fences. I grabbed Leo and shouted for my partner.
"I was so scared it would spread to our house."
Mr Tooth, 34, said the rented property where the fire happened was empty.
Detective Sergeant Steve Shaw, of Pear Tree CID, said: "Our investigations lead us to believe that whoever is responsible made a concerted effort to start both fires deliberately. A 26-year-old local man has been arrested in suspicion of arson. We are linking both incidents.''
