Man sets up camera before rescuing driver from a burning car

A bystander who dragged a US man from a burning car set up his phone to film his bravery before making the daring rescue.

Mattress Showroom worker Santiago Portillo witnessed the fiery May 10 accident in Riverside, California and raced outside to help.

"It looked unreal. I saw an arm hanging out the window and a sweater," Portillo told NBC California of the overturned car left by the collision of two street racers.

"I knew there was a human life in there. I just wasn't going to witness that guy getting roasted. I went inside the car. There was fire going through the vents."

Portillo can be seen grabbing the driver, Ricardo Nunez and pulling him to safety before urging pedestrians to call emergency services.

While he may not be camera shy he is modest insisting he is "not a hero" and that he would "do it all over again for anybody."