War veteran, 70, dies in house fire despite neighbours' desperate efforts to get into his home to save his life

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A war veteran has been killed in a house fire despite firefighters and neighbours desperately attempting to enter the property.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze in One Mile, Ipswich, south-east of Queensland, at around 2.15am on Thursday, reported Nine news.

Two men attempted to enter the home through a door and a window but were unable to break in as the 70-year-old had locked up for the night.

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A war veteran has died despite efforts by firefighters and neighbours attempting to save him

'What I noticed was a red glare coming from the roof once I come out of the front of the house, and tried to run over and open the screen door, but he had that locked up and I didn't have enough strength to pull it open, so I tried to go around to his window of his bedroom... and see whether or not he was in there or even awake,' neighbour Shaun Paterson said. 

The war veteran was well-liked and respected in the community and was known to speak to neighbours over the fence.

'Unfortunately he's 70-years-old, has hearing impairments, everything like that, so he wouldn't have heard me anyway,' Mr Paterson said.

Three fire crews arrived at the scene managing to put out the blaze within 35 minutes but the single story brick house was destroyed.

Upon entering the property the firefighters made the sad discovery that the 70-year-old was inside. 

A crime scene was set up as a standard procedure to find the cause of the fire.

Investigators don't believe the fire was suspicious but there are unconfirmed reports the fire began in the kitchen. 

The 70-year-old was found in his home after three fire crews worked to put out the fire 

The blaze occurred in Ipswich, south-east of Queensland, at around 2.15am on Thursday 

A crime scene was set up as firefighters investigated the cause of the blaze. It is not believed to be suspicious