Man feared dead after fire destroys Sydney home

An elderly man has died after a ferocious fire consumed his home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Neighbours desperately tried to gain entry to the home of Keith Willcox, 92, in Kensington but were beaten back by flames.

After the fire broke out at 2am, tye tried to control the fire with garden hoses but were unable to temper the flames and had to wait for firefighters to arrive.

Neighbours said they had formed a special bond with the man over the years.

Each morning he would open his blinds to let him know he was okay, similarly would shut them at night to indicate he was home and off to bed.

The man's blinds were shut last night which led the neighbour to believe he was inside at the time of the blaze.

The roof of the home has collapsed but when police were able to access the property they found the elderly victim this afternoon.

The cause of the fire is not known.