A blind, 76-year-old man was rescued early this morning from his burning Gainesville home by a man who worked at a nearby business.

Both were evaluated on the scene by Gainesville firefighters and then taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where they were treated for smoke inhalation, Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada said.

The home's occupant is in the intensive care unit. The condition of the rescuer, as well as his name or the other man's name, wasn't immediately known.

The fire took place at 3:30 a.m. at 1190 Purina Drive.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the 1,000-square-foot house with fire and smoke showing in about 60 percent of the structure, Canada said.

Two workers from a nearby business had seen the fire and called 911.

One of the workers went to the home and opened the front door and yelled for anyone inside. When he heard a reply and call for help, he entered the home and began crawling underneath the smoke.

The rescuer found the resident, who had been trying to escape "but had become confused due to the smoke in the structure," Canada said.

They left the house just minutes before firefighters arrived, he said.

The fire, which destroyed the house, is under investigation.

"As a standard practice, the Gainesville Fire Department does not recommend or condone the actions of entering a burning structure without proper training and equipment," Canada said, concerning the rescue.

"However this citizen made a split-second decision to help someone," he added. "Although his decision could have resulted in serious injury to himself and he did receive smoke inhalation injuries, his decision resulted in saving the life of the occupant of the home."