Norfolk police and the fire and rescue service are continuing investigations at the scene of a fatal house fire in Great Hockham, near Thetford.
Police have confirmed a man has died in the fire, which destroyed a bungalow on Scotgate Close at about 3pm yesterday afternoon.
The death is currently being treated as unexplained and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
DS Mark Glister, Thetford Police, said the fire service and police are working together to establish the cause of the fire.
Lynn and Roy Felton, who live on the same street, said they knew the man well.
Mr Felton said: 'He was a stalwart member of the community. If everybody was like him, the world would be a better place.'
Mrs Felton added: 'Nothing was never any trouble for him. We have lost a really good man. It is just so sad.'
It is believed the man's wife was not at home at the time of the fire.
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said the man had lived with his wife in Scotgate Close for a number of years.
He said: 'He was a nice man. He was lovely. We are all very good neighbours round here and we all look after each other. We are all shocked.'
The neighbour added that he and some other people tried to go near to the burning bungalow to see if they could help.
'I went round with some neighbours to try and get in to see if anyone was there,' he said. 'The fire was raging. We all had to get out of the way because there was nothing we could do.
'It is very sad.'
Group manger for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service Paul Seaman said crews from Watton, East Harling, Thetford and Attleborough attended the 'severe' fire.
He said: 'When the crews first arrived there was a fully developed fire involving the whole of the bungalow.
'The building was unstable and fully involved in fire. Despite this, because we believed a missing person may have been reported, we did send crews into the rear of the building, but quickly we had to withdraw those and fight the fire from outside.'
A crew remained on scene overnight and will remain there for much of today.
A pedestrian walkway from Watton Road remains sealed off.
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