Boy, 5, saves grandma, dog from Ca. house fire

SAN BERNARDINO, CA (KTRK) -- A California boy is being hailed a hero after he saved his grandmother from a fire.

Nathaniel is only five years old, but his mind is sharp. When the boy awoke early Saturday to find smoke in his home, he knew exactly what to do.

"Stop and then drop and then roll," he says. "When there's a fire in your room, and the smoke goes high, you should get down and crawl toward the door."

What Nathaniel found when he escaped his bedroom was a space heater that had caught fire inside his family's home.

He crawled to his grandma's room and woke her up.

What's more, Nathaniel kept his grandmother safe by pleading with her not to return to the home when she realized her chihuahua Tinkerbell was still trapped inside.

The dog was able to escape the flames a short time later.

The house was gutted, but fortunately no one was injured.