The fire started just before 5 p.m. on Monday inside the six-story building on West 105th Street, officials said.
Fire Department Deputy Chief Joseph Carlsen said the fire was in a fifth-floor apartment. He said the man, later identified as Robert Gutierrez, was found in a back bedroom.
The fire was contained to one apartment and was extinguished within an hour.
Neighbors said Gutierrez was disabled and used a wheelchair. He was paralyzed in a shooting back in 2016.
Investigators said Tuesday that Gutierrez was smoking in his bedroom and there were no working smoke detectors.
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