A quick-thinking Ottawa Fire Services employee and a working smoke alarm are being credited with saving the employee's child after a tissue box nearly caught fire in the child's room.

Fire officials say the smoke alarm went off early Thursday morning, so the parent grabbed a fire extinguisher and headed downstairs to the child's room in the basement.

The parent found a smoldering tissue box close to a bedroom lamp, and removed it before it fully ignited.

Ottawa Fire says the incident is a reminder to test smoke alarms monthly, and also to ensure light bulbs in lamps are the correct type and wattage.