The stepfather of a man injured in a fire at Liam Payne's flat has thanked the One Direction singer for saving his son's life.

As previously reported, a fire broke out on Monday night (September 2) on the balcony of Payne's penthouse London apartment.

A rep for the star confirmed that he escaped "unhurt" from the incident, but his friend Andy Samuels suffered burns and is said to be in intensive care.

Speaking to the Mirror, Samuels' stepdad Matthew Baker thanked Payne for ultimately saving a life on the balcony. He said:

"We are so grateful to Liam because he saved his life. The lantern just exploded as Andy was lighting it and it took the full force of the flames. Liam helped him by beating out the flames and dousing him with water. He acted quickly and swiftly. What happened was absolutely awful. My son is very poorly. I’ve spoken to Liam on the phone and he told me exactly what happened. He is very shocked himself. It’s bad enough but it could have been a lot worse."