A crime scene has been established, while investigators try to determine the cause of a fatal fire in Toowoomba overnight.
Emergency services were called to the house on Doyle Street at Harlaxton just before 11:30pm, and found the timber home engulfed in flames.
A man in his 40s was found dead inside the house and police are working to confirm their identity.
Fire crews remained on scene for three hours, but the house was destroyed in the blaze.
Nearby resident Travis Hunt called authorities after hearing screams from the home.
"It was pretty horrific, running into a house where someone is dying you know it's pretty upsetting," he said.
"When you can't do much, all you can do is sit back and watch. There was a lot of commotion and flames coming out of every window.
"Knowing that some guy just lost his life, it's pretty sad."
Nathaniel Morgan also witnessed the fire and tried to help.
"I could feel the heat … the flames were just coming out, the car caught on fire and everything," he said.
"We were worried for the dogs."
Harlaxton resident Janet Wilson said she was woken up by the sirens last night.
"I was asleep, so I got up to have a look, and that's when I saw the flames coming out the back of the house," she said.
"It was a shock.
"You're worried about whether they were going to catch fire to any of the trees and go anywhere else."
