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VALDESE, N.C. — A Navy veteran died and two women were injured Saturday in a house fire in Valdese, authorities said, according to WSOC.fire_1

Carl Peterson, a Vietnam veteran, died. His wife and sister-in-law were airlifted to hospitals in Spartanburg and Winston-Salem.

Authorities are still investigating what caused the fire. Officials said the house was still on fire when firefighters arrived. They reportedly cut into a bedroom window to pull out one of the victims.

“I got up this morning and I saw the flames. God, it was so surreal,” said Rodney Berry, Carl Peterson’s cousin. “He was just a great man, served in the military. He did his thing and he did it unconditionally.”

Read fulls story: WSOC