 A 76 year old man has died following a house fire just east of Hines. Authorities say Oscar Clark Ekstrom lived in the home alone. The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office got a call a little before 4 this morning that the house was engulfed in flames. First responders from the Black Duck Fire and Beltrami County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene in the 18,200 block of Lookout Tower Road. Neighbors say they heard a loud explosion. As a matter of fact they were awakened by a loud explosion coming from the home. Undetermined what that was yet. I know the State Fire Marshal is still working on it. It could have been a vehicle parked nearby that maybe had gone up in flames. It could have been a propane cylinder or dependent on what was there. At this point we don't have a lot of information what the cause of this would have been. So we're just gonna, we can't speculate by any means. Firefighters work to preserve the home but say it was a total loss. The case is currently being investigated by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, Block Duck Fire and the State Fire Marshal's Office. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.