FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT)- The Allen County Coroner identified a man that died when his house caught fire and exploded Tuesday morning. 

Tuesday morning, the house in the 5200 block of Wallen Road caught fire. Around 4:30 p.m, 55-year-old Nathan Sliger was found in the rubble. 

Police and firefighters worked the scene Tuesday and Wednesday. The Huntertown Fire Chief said on the phone, they believe it was caused by a gas leak, but were still working to confirm that. 

Assistant Fire Chief Jim Murua with the Fort Wayne Fire Department said their department wasn't called to the explosion, but house fires are all too common when temperatures drop. 

"We get a lot of calls right now because people start to turn their furnaces on and they have not had them cleaned or inspected," Murua said. 

Murua said it's important to maintain your electrical appliances and make sure there isn't a build up of natural gas. 

But, the best advice he said he can give to avoid house fires is to always have smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. 

"Those things are invaluable tools within your home for life safety. We want to make sure we check those on a regular basis to make sure they're working properly," Murua said. 

And as the holidays approach, be sure to be mindful of cooking fires, but if disaster does strike, have an escape plan. 

"In the event something does go wrong, our family can get out of the house safely and is able to get away from the house and make a 911 call," Murua said. 

Nathan Sliger's exact cause of death is still being determined. FOX 55 will have more information on the cause of Tuesday's explosion as they become available.