Heroic teenager Mace Jefferson, 16, rescues child from burning house

A teenage boy has been praised for his “incredible bravery” after he saved a young girl from a fatal house fire.

Mace Jefferson, 16, saw flames erupting from a Swansea home near Newcastle and immediately rushed in to help before firefighters arrived.

“Without thinking about his own safety, he kicked through a window of the burning home and was able to save a young child,” his friend Hayley Carmody said

The horror unfolded about 1.30pm on Thursday when a property in Northcote Ave, Swansea, about 136km north of Sydney, was engulfed in flames.

An 87-year-old woman and two girls aged 5 were inside the property at the time.

By the time emergency services arrived at the scene, the house was well lit.

One of the children was located during a search of the home and was unable to be revived, NSW Police said in a statement.

The elderly woman suffered serious burns and was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.

Mace suffered leg injuries when he attempted to gain access to the home and had to be taken to hospital.

A 37-year-old man forced entry to the home to help and was not injured.

Ms Carmody started a GoFundMe for Mace, who almost severed his achilles during his brave act.

“At just 16 years old, he is expected to have a long recovery … during which he will be unable to live his normal life, return to work as a carpenter apprentice and experience the exciting things like getting his P’s shortly,” she said on GoFundMe.

“We are now asking our community to come together and support Mace during his recovery.

“Mace showed incredible bravery. Now it’s our turn to show him that he isn’t alone.”