A Palmerston North man who crawled into a burning house to rescue a baby was terrified at the time, but said he could not ignore the screams and pleas of family members.

Neighbor Tony Selby heard the adults screaming for the baby and rushed inside, after another man failed to locate the 16-month-old girl.

He said the room was filled with thick smoke and he couldn't see anything in front of him. "I was terrified," he said.

(READ the story, with photos, in Stuff.co.nz)