A 41-year-old man was found on fire in a Hastings public toilet this morning.



The man is in an induced coma at Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital.



His life may have been saved by the heroic actions of staff at a cafe who rushed to help him, said Sergeant Eden Sewell.



He said officers were called to the King Street North toilets in Hastings about 8.30am.



It looked like the fire was deliberately lit and the injured man was the only person involved, Mr Sewell said.



He commended the owner and staff of Cafe Sutto who were first on the scene.



"Their actions were heroic, in that they have put themselves in harm's way and as a result may have saved a person's life.''



He said police wanted to speak to a member of the public who helped with the rescue but left the scene before speaking to officers.