The man, who has not been named, was rescued by his colleagues from the Crowborough fire station.

He, along with another man, was taken to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells where both victims died.

People living near to the scene of the fire said the dead men were brothers who both lived at the house in Fremor Way, Crowborough.

'Last sighting'

The fire broke out at about 0225 GMT on Wednesday.

Two people managed to escape from the house and suffered only minor injuries and shock.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said that the off-duty firefighter had lived in the house and was trying to rescue his brother from the blaze.

She said: "He got his parents out and then went back in to rescue his brother and that's the last anyone saw of them."

The neighbour, who was forced to evacuate her own house during the incident, said the brothers were in their mid-twenties.

Smoke inhalation

Four of the firefighters called to tackle the blaze were also injured during the incident and were treated in hospital.

One is still under observation after suffering smoke inhalation but the other three have now been released.

A spokesperson for East Sussex Fire Brigade said: "Our thoughts are with the family and Crowborough crews who have lost one of their colleagues."

The cause of the fire is being investigated but is not being treated as suspicious.