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GASTONIA -- Two people were killed Monday morning when fire destroyed a house in south Gastonia, authorities say.
Ernest Adams, 78, and Angela Smith Wilson, 57, died during the fire, Gastonia Fire Department spokesman Jim Landis said
Christa Andrene Smith, 37, escaped from the blaze, called 911, and awakened a neighbor in an unsuccessful effort for help.
Firefighters were called about 5 a.m. to a single-story brick house in the 1500 block of Seigle Avenue. That is off South Marietta Street. A neighbor told reporters that he was unable to save the two residents inside because of the flames.
Fire officials said they found one victim’s body in a bedroom and another in a hallway. There are reports that one of the victims had suffered a stroke recently.
The single-story house was either heavily damaged or destroyed by the flames. Investigators are working to determine a cause, although they believe it was accidental.
“We have no reason to believe anything different at this point,” Landis said.
