House fire claims two lives in Rabun County

Two people are dead following a house fire in Rabun County, according to Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens.

Fire investigators and local officials are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Investigators say they believe the homeowners, Joseph Kneer, 71, and his wife Phyllis Kneer, 77, died in the fire.

Their bodies were discovered in the rubble by firefighters and taken to a GBI crime laboratory for an autopsy and identification, according to officials.

The fire, which occurred on Sunday around 7 a.m. in Clayton, Ga., destroyed the one story wood frame structure, Hudgens said.

The fire appears to have started in the kitchen area of the home, according to officials.

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