That is how Cobar mayor Lilliane Brady described Sunday's early-morning blaze that left a firefighter dead, another injured and destroyed an iconic local hotel.

A tearful Cr Brady paid tribute to 37-year-old Daniel Howard, an electrical contractor, part-time firefighter and family friend who lost his life after a wall collapsed at the Marshall Street site.

"He was a gorgeous young man, a beautiful and brave one that I felt honoured to know," she said.

She remembered Mr Howard as someone who was always willing to help out Cobar and its residents.

"We had a fundraiser to fix the cemetery after it was broken into and vandalised and he was one of the first to put his hand up to help out, he was one of the young chaps who sang at the fundraiser," she said.

"Even on a night when we were practising he got called out to a fire.

"I also remember his mother came all the way from Queensland to attend my husband's funeral.

"This is a big loss for Cobar, he was a real asset to the community".

Cr Brady said she was confident the Cobar community would rally to support those affected by the devastating fire.

Meanwhile Cr Brady said the community was saddened to have lost an iconic meeting place in the New Occidental Hotel.

"It's iconic, the first thing you see when you drive over the hill into Cobar and the last thing you see on the way out," she said.

The New Occidental Hotel was the second iconic western NSW pub to go up in smoke within a week, following a blaze that destroyed the Coolabah pub in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

WorkCover was informed of the incident and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.

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