A terrible toddler set a wastepaper bin on fire before her dad stormed in to extinguish the flames.

CCTV footage shows the mischievous little girl igniting a sheet of white paper with a lighter in Guangdong, China.

She then tossed it into a pink plastic bucket, causing the flames to quickly spread to the items inside on March 22.

The child attempted to douse the fire with a cup of water, but it had already grown.

Thinking that it would no longer spread, she walked away and continued playing at the table.

Moments later, she ran out of the living room to call her grandfather after seeing the blaze getting bigger.

Upon seeing the fire, the quick-thinking elderly man removed the burning bin, which was next to a wooden table, dragging it away while scolding the toddler.

He then used a long stick to move the smouldering remains, as it was still burning.