The octogenarian was rescued from inside the burning Hoffman St property, but he was unable to be revived.
The Guardian understands a nearby resident tried to go in before firefighters arrived shortly after 9pm.
Hokitika Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Peter Cuff said crews were quickly made aware that the sole occupant was missing.
The man was located inside the house by firefighters, who pulled him outside, but he was unresponsive and attempts at resuscitation failed.
CFO Cuff said the man had a lot of extended family in the area and was well known in the community.
Police are still to name the elderly fire victim.
Senior Sergeant Nathan Snell, of Greymouth, confirmed the man’s body was removed from the scene later that night.
Local iwi conducted karakia at the site.
News of the fatal fire spread quickly around the town yesterday.
The victim was remembered as "a lovely man".
Multiple 111 calls were made to emergency services.
The sheer volume of calls resulted in the callout quickly being upgraded, and 35 firefighters from Hokitika, Greymouth and Ross rushed to the scene — one street over from the Hokitika Fire Station.
The cause of the fire was being treated as unexplained until a formal fire investigation took place.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand West Coast fire safety investigators were unavailable for comment yesterday.
Police earlier said that a scene guard had been in place overnight on Sunday, and further inquiries were being made yesterday to determine the cause.
They confirmed the person inside house at the time of the fire was found unresponsive by emergency services.
"Sadly, despite the efforts of emergency services staff, the person subsequently passed away."
— Janna Sherman, Hokitika Guardian
