Savannah White, 12, was hanging out washing at her Whippet Street home when she noticed two-year-old Stephan in the back seat of the car which had flames licking at the front window.

“I dropped the clothes and ran over to the car but the fire was getting bigger and bigger so I ran around to the other side of the car, opened the back door, crawled in and grabbed hold of Stephan,” she said.

“He was just sitting there like he didn’t know what to do.

“I think he was shocked.

“I had to get him really quickly because it was really hot.”

Savannah’s screams attracted the attention of her mother who ran outside as flames began to engulf the car which was one of the family vehicles.

Tara White, a mother of eight, said the car was parked quite close to gas bottles so she rounded up all the children and took then to her neighbour’s home to call for help.

Police and Fire and Rescue crews rushed to the scene where they found the Mitsubishi Magna ablaze.

Stephan had been playing with a lighter inside the car when the driver’s seat caught fire.

Police are sure Savannah’s quick-thinking actions saved her little brother’s life.

A/Senior Sergeant Jody Nobbs said she certainly deserved credit for her dragging her brother from the fire.

“He had a lucky escape,” he said.

“This could have resulted in a terrible tragedy if the boy’s big sister hadn’t noticed the flames and gone to his rescue.”

Savannah, a grade six student at Tennant Creek Primary, said her family was really proud of her and she received lots of praise from her teacher when she went to school this week.

“It’s good that everyone has said nice things about me saving Stephan but I just did it without thinking,” she said.

“Since then it keeps going through my mind about what would have happened if I didn’t make it in time to save him.

“It’s like I see it over and over again and it’s not stopping.

“But one thing for sure I’m really, really glad I saved Stephan and that no-one was hurt.”$32.15