A Knoxville family has lost their baby boy in a house fire at their home.
Firefighters arrived at the home on Alma Avenue in East Knoxville where they found a man, woman, and two children outside the burning home.
A Knoxville Fire Department spokesman, DJ Corcoran said it was clear the parents had tried to get back inside the house to get to the 18-month-old, who was in a bedroom at the back of the house.
The adults were both covered in soot and had been burned.
The Firefighters also made an attempt to get into the home to get to the baby.
“They looked for an alternate route to get to the back bedroom. They were blocked by a rear entrance that had a refrigerator in front of that door,” said Corcoran.
Unfortunately, the little boy died before firefighters could reach him. The boy’s parents were transported to UT Medical Center for treatment of injuries and smoke inhalation.
Two other children, aged 3 and 5, were taken to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to be treated for injuries.
Corcoran mentioned that the firefighters are struggling to deal with the loss of a child.
“You beat yourself up thinking if I’d only been there quicker. If I’d only been stronger to move this refrigerator out of the way,” Corcoran said.
Investigators are still investigating what exactly caused the fire, but they suspect it may have started in the kitchen.