AN alert toddler helped save a elderly man from his burning home, thanks to his good sense of hearing.

Two-year-old Liam Cairns was returning home with his grandad in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, at about 3pm, on Sunday, when he heard a smoke alarm in a neighbour’s bungalow in Barmouth Road.

Barry Cairns said: “I was just dropping him off and he told me he could hear a smoke alarm going off over the road.

“He knows what the noise is because when my wife makes toast she quite often burns it and sets our alarm off.”

The blaze at the bungalow, thought to have been started by a chip pan, quickly engulfed the property.

However, Mr Cairns managed to get into the home and rescue the householder, believed to be 82.

He said: “It was totally black in the bungalow. I was only in there for about 20 seconds and it was choking me.

“I managed to drag the man out of the house before another bloke helped me pull him away from the building.

“Another minute later and I think it would have been too late. Once we were out, it got a lot worse and the windows exploded.”

Neighbours yesterday spoke of their shock at how quickly the fire took hold.

The pensioner, named locally as Bill, suffered burns to his leg and bruises to his arms. He was taken to hospital, but is believed to have been released after treatment.

Peter Jones, watch manager at Grangetown fire station, said: “The smoke and flames were pouring out of the house when we arrived.

“There’s severe fire damage to the kitchen, hallway and bathroom, and moderate damage to the living room.”