TEENAGE rugby player Steve Arnold was just out for an evening jog when what started out as his normal training run got his pulse racing faster than normal.

He saw smoke billowing from the back of a house on his route and, on investigation, saw that a chip pan was alight in the kitchen.

The quick-thinking 18-year-old sprang into action, first calling the fire brigade and then kicking his way in through the locked door and throwing the pan outside.

The occupant of the house had fallen asleep and was alerted to the crisis only when Steve broke the door panel – an action which may well have saved the 32-year-old’s life.

Firefighters arrived within a few minutes and reported that the fire was out when they got there. Both they and residents at Black Rock Road, Portskewett, hailed Steve as a hero, one neighbour calling him “a brave, brave young man”.

Once the drama was over, modest Steve simply carried on with his run, jokingly commenting later that he hadn’t broken his personal best for the route.

We agree that Steve is a hero and quite possibly a lifesaver.

But we think the timing of his training run that night was just perfect.