"I didn't really have any emotions at all at the time. I was just concerned about the kid," the trainee auto electrician (18) said.
It was not until he had handed the child to the distraught mother that he realised what he had done.
"It kicked in a bit afterwards ... the biggest adrenaline rush I have had in my life. I just felt rapt I'd got the kid out. If I hadn't been there he might have died."
A woman, a man, at least three young children and a dog escaped from the Union St bungalow about 4.40pm, moments before it was engulfed in flames.
Bystanders said the man had escaped through the back door with a fourth child, but that could not be confirmed last night.
Daniel said he was standing outside his workplace talking to a friend when he saw the woman hurry from the front door of her neighbouring house carrying a newborn baby in each arm.
"I went over to her and asked her what was happening. All of a sudden smoke started coming from the house. I asked her if anyone was still inside and she said her little boy was. So, I automatically just ran inside yelling: `Hello, hello, where are you?'.
"I looked into the lounge and the little kid was there. He was just standing there. He didn't know what to do. I grabbed him and headed straight outside."
Daniel's friend, Dwayne McLean, followed him into the house and out again.
Daniel said the smoke was so thick he was crouching to avoid it and trying not to breathe it in.
As he reached the hallway by the front door there was a small explosion and the walls burst into flames.
"One minute there was smoke and 30 seconds later the house was blazing. It was unbelievable."
After he had handed the boy to the mother, he assisted the man, who was bringing a dog through the front door.
The occupants were seen by St John staff but did not require medical attention at that time, a St John spokeswoman said.
However, one of the children was taken to Dunedin Hospital later, suffering from smoke inhalation, Senior Constable Steve Griffiths, of Milton, said.
Milton deputy fire chief Robbie Philip said indications were the fire started in the kitchen while food was being cooked.
It had spread quickly and was "very well involved" when Milton and Balclutha fire crews arrived, he said.
"I don't think there will be much left inside. The whole structure is pretty well gone."
Daniel's mother, Claire Mackie, said her son had gone from "zero to hero in her eyes".
Only about 20 minutes before the fire she had been on the telephone to her mother, "whinging about a few things Daniel had done which had annoyed me", she said.
"Then I had to ring her back and tell her he was a hero. I'm very proud of him."
