Carl Bradey suffered burns to his entire body and has lost feeling in his right arm after saving a 3-year-old girl from his burning house.

A Palmerston North man's heroic actions saved the life of a young girl, but he has been left with lasting scars and no belongings.

Carl Bradey has undergone multiple surgeries after the Terrace End house he rented was damaged in the early hours of March 14 when a candle set the property alight and destroyed everything he owned.

Bradey said he woke up to the screams of his then-partner's sister in-law.

He and his partner were being visited by the woman and her 3-year-old daughter.

Bradey had a few beers before going to bed about 3am, only to wake to flames consuming the property, he said.

The flames were dangerously close to the room where the child was sleeping, so Bradey ran through them, burning virtually his entire body.

He cradled the child and passed her out the window, he said.

All that was going through his mind was that they had to get out of there, Bradey said.

"I smashed through the window and cut open a couple of my main arteries."

He lost so much blood he passed out in the front of the house.

He said he could not remember anything after getting out of the house. "I woke up [in hospital] and I was stitched up."

Bradey was transferred from Palmerston North Hospital and has just finished undergoing multiple skin grafts at Hutt Hospital.

He has lost all feeling in his right arm because of nerve damage.

"It's the worst thing I've ever been through, that's for sure."

Bradey's mother Angalina Summers said if it were not for her son's heroics, the young girl could have died.

Because he lost everything he owned, except for his car, his family created a Give-a-Little page, to help him get back on his feet.

She said he showed a lot of strength throughout the whole surgery process.

"He got burnt to bits [but] he's been amazing," Summers said. "I'm so proud of him."

Summers said those at the house were lucky because they all could easily have died in the fire.

She urged people to be careful with fire hazards.

Following the fire, the house was closed off because asbestos was found there and was a major safety risk.

Bradey has been off work and staying with his mother, in Rotorua, following the fire.

Fire risk management officer Murray Kidd investigated the scene the morning of the incident.

It took the fire service 30 minutes to contain and extinguish the fire, which had caved the roof in and destroyed a car.

He said the fact a candle started the fire reinforced the importance of safety around open flames, no matter how small.

"They need to be placed in good, solid holders and put in a place away from combustibles, like curtains," Kidd said.

To help Bradey, donate at the Give-A-Little page.