The man was outside his camper at the time of the explosion, but no one could get to him due to the heat of the flames, police said.

A 61-year-old Ottawa man has died after an explosion and fire in a camping trailer in eastern Ontario.

Conrad Tougas was pronounced dead at the Riverside-Cedar campsite near Morrisburg, Ont., Wednesday night, police said.

Emergency crews were called to a campground on the shore of the St. Lawrence River around 9 p.m.

The man was outside his camper, which had two propane tanks attached to it, at the time of the explosion. However, due to the heat of the flames, no one could get to him until after firefighters brought the fire under control.

Tougas had been a seasonal resident of the campsite located 10 kilometres east of Morrisburg and 30 kilometres west of Cornwall, police said. Many retired seniors spend their summers at the campsite, where campers and tents sit close together in a heavily treed glen.

On Thursday morning, many of the other campers were crying as they surveyed the charred remains of the camper and spoke to police.

An autopsy is expected later in the week.

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation because the incident involved an explosion and a fatality. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority, which administers Ontario regulations related to fuel transportation, storage and handling, is also taking part.