A HERO mum died from horrific burns after she went back into the burning home she shared with her elderly parents twice to drag them to safety.

Roseanne Armstrong, 43, was decorating a tribute to her teenage daughter, who died last October, in her room in the groundfloor flat in Old Craighall on Sunday when it is thought she lit a cigarette, sparking an explosion.

But despite managing to climb out of the window of her burning room to safety, Roseanne, a mother-of-eight, battled back into the house to help her parents.

She managed to carry her 76-year-old mother Margaret-Rose Rowan out to the front drive before going back in to try and help her father Bobby, who is 77.

On Tuesday, Roseanne’s eldest son Edward, 23, paid tribute to his mother.

He told the Courier: “Mum was a hero, she gave her life to save her own parents.

“I am in no doubt they would not be with us now if it were not for mum’s bravery.”

Edward said witnesses had told the family how Roseanne bravely went back into the burning flat twice in a bid to save her parents.

He said: “The second time that mum went back she must have been purely driven by adrenalin; her dad had suffered a number of strokes and was a big man who weighed about 28 stone but she managed to get him to safety.”

Firecrews were called to the family home in Old Craighall Road shortly after 2.30am on Sunday.

Mrs Armstrong was taken to St John’s Hospital, Livingston, with extensive burns but died shortly after being admitted.

Mrs Armstrong was the mother of eight children, the youngest aged just two.

Her parents are both being treated for their injuries at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The tragedy left the small Old Craighall community, where Roseanne’s parents had lived for 20 years, shocked.

Musselburgh West ward councillor John Williamson said that everyone had been affected by the loss of life.

He said: “Old Craighall is a tight-knit community and will rally together to help how they can.

“It is a terrible tragedy and my heartfelt sympathies go to the family.”

It is believed Mrs Armstrong was spray painting a tribute to her daughter Mary-K Armstrong, who died in Wishaw last October, aged just 17, from multiple organ failure after taking what was suspected to be a contaminated Valium tablet.

Mrs Armstrong had struggled to come to terms with losing Mary-K and had told Edward she had made a wreath for both her teenage daughter and the sister she had been named after.

Edward said: “Mum had the daughter sign from Mary-K’s funeral and said she was going to decorate it as well. She said it would be done by Sunday and she planned to bring it and the wreaths through to their gravesides.

“I believe mum was decorating it with aerosols and did not take into account the fact the window and door to the room were closed as she lit a cigarette. I don’t know for sure but it is what I believe.”

What does concern the family is why Roseanne, who was normally extremely careful around cigarettes following a terrifying incident four years earlier, had made the error in judgement.

Roseanne had a miracle escape in 2011 when she was trying to light a cigarette in her new car as it was parked in a Tesco car park.

Cleaning fluids used to clean the seats ignited, causing the car to explode and sending Roseanne hurtling 212 ft across the supermarket car park.

Astonishingly, she suffered only minor burns but it left her with a fear of causing another fire.

Edward said: “Mum was cautious around cigarettes because of what happened.

“I can only assume she was tired and wasn’t thinking. It was not like her at all.”

A joint investigation between Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland is taking place to establish the cause of the fire.

East Lothian Council confirmed the address was one of their residences.

A spokesperson said: “There is little we can say about the fire at the moment as it is the subject of an ongoing police investigation.

“We would like to extend our sympathy to family and friends and will do everything we can to support our tenants.”