An off-duty firefighter is being hailed a hero for rescuing a man from a burning rooming house in Cabbagetown.

The fire broke out at a Toronto Community Housing (TCH) building on Carlton Street, near Parliament Street, around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

It appears the fire started in one of the upper floors, and flames could be seen shooting through the roof.

Dave Archer, who has 12 years of experience on the Toronto Fire Service, said he was in the neighbourhood at a local office teaching a first-aid class. When the class was on break, he stepped onto Carlton Street and saw smoke coming from the house.

He noticed a man was hanging out of a window on the second floor, as smoke poured out around him.

Archer ran into the home, despite the fact he was wearing blue jeans, a golf shirt and flip-flops.

“As soon as I got to the landing, I could see this gentleman through the smoke, grabbed him, pulled him through the window and escorted him down the stairs, and got into the paramedics for treatment,” he said.

“He told me he could not hang on much longer and he was about to fall.”