A man died in a late-night residential fire in Kailua Wednesday.

A family member identified him as James Irvine, 59. “He was a fun-loving guy. Everybody in the neighborhood loved him,” said his brother Robert Irvine of Kaneohe.

Six units with more than 20 firefighters responded to the blaze at a lakefront home at 864 Akumu St. in Enchanted Lake shortly before 11:55 p.m. When they arrived, they observed light smoke emanating from the rear of the residence, said Honolulu Fire Spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant.

A man, woman and child in a separate part of the residence on the property reportedly heard cries for help from another man later identified as Irvine.

They attempted to rescue him but smoke and flames hampered their efforts. Seguirant said the two adults escaped the fire with the child and alerted responding firefighters that Irvine was still in the home.

Firefighters found him dead inside a bedroom located in the rear of the property. Honolulu police and the medical examiner’s office were notified.

The blaze was extinguished at approximately 12:25 a.m. today. Seguirant said the home has smoke alarms.

Family members gathered in front of the home as firefighters investigated the cause of the blaze.

Irvine’s brother said caregivers helped tend to James when he became paralyzed from a neck injury.