Two people died in a house fire in Le Sueur County early Sunday morning.

Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason says deputies responded to a report of a fire at a home on Jindra Lane in Montgomery Township just before 1 a.m.

Betty Jindra, 73, had called 911 to say the house was on fire and she and Roman Jindra, 76, were trapped inside, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies, along with Montgomery and Le Center Fire Departments, arrived and tried to get inside but were driven back by heavy smoke and heat.

Fire crews eventually got inside and found the Jindras in the kitchen. Emergency crews pronounced them dead at the scene.

Maureen Tuma, a longtime neighbor of the Jindras, calls the couple wonderful people.

“We’re going to miss them,” Tuma said. “A lot of people are going to miss them. I still can’t get over it. It’s still a shock to me.”

The State Fire Marshal was called to the scene to help determine the cause of the fire.