Fire in Salem claims Two Lives

An early Saturday morning, Jan. 13, fire destroyed a mobile home on Crestwood Drive in Salem. 911 communications received the first call reporting this fire at 5:56am. Three sets of remains were discovered in the bedroom area by fire department personnel. These remains were severely burned beyond recognition. Post mortem exams on Sunday confirmed the death of two individuals and a dog. Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis says that the human remains were that of a male and female. DNA will be required to make a positive identification, reports Addis, and the causes of death remain under investigation but appear fire related. Identifications may be released later after family members are located and informed and all means of accounting for the presumed victims have been exhausted. The fire remains under investigation.