A husband and father died as a result of a grease fire in this Wellington Centre home. (CBC News)

A pan of grease on top of a stove caused the fatal fire in Wellington Centre Monday.

Justin Charles Cameron, a 45-year-old husband and father, was found dead inside his home when firefighters arrived.

"The gentleman that perished in the fire, he awoke to the fire," explained Dave Blacquiere, provincial fire marshal. "It would seem to me that there was an attempt on his part to correct the bad situation, [he was] overcome by smoke, attempted then to get out of the building and succumbed to the smoke inhalation."

Firefighters were called to the fire at the man's home at about 4 p.m. Blacquiere said the fire was very intense and coming through the roof when they arrived.

Blacquiere said grease on the stove had ignited, caught the underside of the cupboards above the range and spread throughout the home.

Cameron was alone at the time. Family members said the house had two smoke detectors.

Cameron leaves behind a wife and four children. He was a lifelong resident of Wellington Centre with a large extended family in the area. His family described him as a hard-working family man, who earned his living as a carpenter's helper.

The fire marshal said grease fires can be prevented with use of a proper deep fryer.