The elderly father, surnamed Wan, was saved first and then Li rushed back into the fire to rescue the mother.

"My daughter was still trapped inside," Wan recalled later as he was reluctant to leave without his daughter.

Li had no time to rest and he told Wan firmly: "You go downstairs first, I promise to save your daughter."

Li went back into the inferno for the third and last time.

Finally, the fire was completely extinguished the next day after firefighters battled it through the night.

The rescuers found the remains of Li and the daughter, with Li actually trying to carry the daughter out before he was overcome by the smoke.

He was honored as a martyr by the military on March 5.

Li joined the PLA Air Force in December 2005, and took part in rescue efforts after the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

On March 7, he was buried in the Martyrs' Memorial Park in his hometown in Guangshan county, Xinyang, Henan province. Thousands of people stood on the roadside to honor his memory and pay their respects.

"It was very sad," said Cao Deyi, 41, Li's middle school teacher in his hometown. Cao actually encouraged Li's ambition to join the army when he was a teenager as his leadership qualities were evident.

"We are proud of him," Cao said.

Li's house in Guangshan county is being looked after by his uncle, Ruan Congyou. The 48-year-old insists on opening the door in the morning, and turning on the light in the evening, to honor Li's memory.

Ruan said Li was in his hometown on March 2, the day before the terrible fire. He never thought it would be their final meeting.

They took part in the traditional custom of worshipping ancestors on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar.

"He went to see his family: to see his parents, his wife, 5-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter in Wuhan, but then the fire occurred," Ruan added.

He pointed at a wedding picture hanging on the wall: "Li married his wife here, nearly six years ago."

A fund for Li's children was established. It has reached 980,000 yuan ($156,000) in March.