Late on Friday evening Neil Turini went to his balcony to enjoy a cigarette and the night air - the next moment he was scaling a glass-topped wall to reach a burning building and rescue a family trapped inside.

His actions probably saved the lives of a toddler and his grandmother according to fire fighters who arrived at the scene in Spanish Point moments after the daring mission.

Mariners Lane resident Carmen Carreiro had been heating oil in a pot on the stove when she went to settle her crying grandson Ze'Paul but then fell asleep.

She awoke to the sound of popping coming from the kitchen and found it ablaze, blocking the exit on the top floor flat.

The distraught woman went to the bedroom and called for help while her downstairs neighbour Antonio Faria brought a ladder to her window along with a garden hose.

Neighbours Mathias Nickchen and Nina Zullig called emergency services but could not get into the flat.

But they fetched a knife which Mr. Turini, who had just arrived on the scene, used to force his way in after clambering over a wall from his home in the adjacent Arlington Avenue. He led the way as Mr. Nickchen followed.

Mr. Turini, 33, tells of how he first spotted trouble shortly before midnight.

“I went to my porch to have a cigarette and saw some people frantically knocking on the door across the way.

“I thought, it's too late for a barbecue. Then I saw smoke and I knew there was a child there.”

He said he would regularly see the family when sitting on his porch. “I would always see the lady and the little boy together. They didn't go anywhere so it was a quick assumption that they would still be home.”

So he sped off, scaling a wall covered with broken glass which divides the streets in the process.

When no-one answered in the burning building he forced his way in after Mr. Nickchen gave him clothing to cover his mouth but could see nothing because of the smoke.

He called out. “I heard the woman's voice calling for help and the child's voice and ran back out to get another breath.”

Braving the choking black smoke and intense heat he went back armed with a torch given to him by Mr. Nickchen.

Even so, visibility was poor. “You could not see the hand at the end of your arm. I stayed on the ground. It was breathtakingly hot.

“I cannot imagine what the people trapped inside were going through.”

He crawled to the back bedroom at the other end of the apartment and banged on the door.

“I heard the woman say ‘I can't breathe' so I told her to stand back and opened the door.

“The woman presented the child right to me so I grabbed the child's arm and ran outside the building and took him out, away from the smoke.

“I ran back inside to get the lady, she was on her way, collapsing, you could see she was very weak in her legs.

“I took her out and did the same thing, brought her around to a clearing so could at least breathe some fresh air.

“I had been focused on hearing the voice, I couldn't see anything.

“When the fire team showed me what I crawled past I was definitely blown away.

“I could see the damage which was right next to me, the stove burned up, the ceiling was all charred, the tiles had popped off the wall from the extreme heat.

“Everything was sooted up. I was amazed I didn't walk into anything which was on the side.”

Fire investigators have found the handmarks Mr. Turini left as he felt his way around the smoke-filled flat which suffered around $25-30,000 in damage.

Fire Service spokesman Lt. Dana Lovell told The Royal Gazette: “As far as the fire service is concerned it was an heroic effort on his part.

“He really put himself in harm's way in order to remove those people.

“It's quite possible the outcome would have been fatal.”

He said Mr. Turini exposed himself to the risk of toxic gases which are typical bi-products of melting plastics and other products in household fires - conditions fire fighters would normally only encounter when suited up in protective gear and breathing apparatus.

The woman, believed to be in her forties, and the child, who is said to be aged between three and five, have been released from hospital after getting treatment for smoke inhalation.

The Royal Gazette understands the rest of the family were in the Azores when the blaze ignited.

Mr. Turini admitted he was frightened as he made the rescue bid. “The adrenaline was definitely kicking in,” he said.

“It really got me after it was over. I did what I had to and left. I was a little shaken, I could have been burned.

“I could not wait to get out to get a fresh breath of air. My eyes were burning and was black. Everything I touched left charcoal marks.

“But it felt good to know they were safe,” said Mr. Turini who works for Belco.

Despite the trauma of his actions, he said he slept well that night, although the smoke inhalation has led to an upset stomach. He has yet to meet the pair since the fire although others in the neighbourhood have shown their appreciation. “I have had people holler ‘Thank you' and ‘Great job'.

“I was happy I did what I did but when I realise what I did - speaking to the emergency services they said they didn't have much time left. Maybe a minute or two left. It would have been fatal.

“I was thrilled and relieved to know I was able to do something at the time.”

Mr. Turini's neighbour Alan Hayward said of his exploits: “He must be one humble soul. I have talked to him a couple of times this weekend and he has never mentioned it. This is the first time I am hearing about it.”