A house fire in North Georgia killed a high school teacher and coach and seriously injured his wife and young children, officials say.

Walker County authorities say the deadly house fire broke out early Sunday morning at the family's home on Ridgewood Circle.

Officials say Heather Milliken and her 3 and 8-year-old children were able to escape the burning building, but John Millican III remained trapped inside. Fire crews found the LaFayette High School teacher unconscious in a back bedroom.

Medics rushed the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials have scheduled an autopsy to determine the cause of his death.

Millikan worked as a special education teacher and football coach at the high school. He had previously worked as a teacher and coach in Dade County.

"This heartbreaking loss is being felt across our school communities. We ask everyone to keep the Millican family and all those affected in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead," Walker County Schools wrote on Facebook. "Counselors and school social workers will be onsite and available in our schools to support students and staff during this difficult time."

Millican's wife, a social studies teacher at LaFayette Middle School, and the couple's two children were transported to Vanderbilt Burn Center in Nashville for treatment. Their current condition is not known.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.