Courtesy: Facebook
The young boy who died in a Union County house fire has been identified as 2-year-old Matthew Parker.
Pastor Richie Turner of Nehemiah Baptist Church in Northeast Knoxville confirmed it was Matthew Parker who died in the fire. Turner said the Parker family has attended his church for years.
"They're some of our most faithful, faithful members," he said.
Turner described Matthew Parker as an energetic boy who was known for dancing in the church aisles.
"He was just great, a great child to have around," he said.
Rebecca Eckel attends Nehemiah Baptist Church. She said her grandson used to play with Matthew Parker regularly.
Eckel told 10News Parker's loss has hit the church hard.
"That just goes to show you how quickly something can change and how you can have something taken away from you so fast," Eckel said.
Sunday, Nehemiah Baptist Church announced it will be accepting clothing, food and toiletry donations on the Parker's family behalf for the rest of the week.
If you are interested in making a donation, Turner asks that you call the church at 865-748-1772 or you can send a donation to P.O. Box 111 Corryton, TN, 37721.
Turner asks that anyone sending monetary donations make it clear they are for the Matthew Parker Fund.
According to Turner, the church has also provided Matthew Parker's family with home in Knoxville for several months.
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Investigators in Union County say a young boy died Saturday following a fire at a mobile home.
It happened on Front Street in Luttrell. Authorities received the first call around 4:40 p.m.
The home sits off the roadway, up a hill, in a heavily wooded area.
Union County Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Butcher confirmed to 10News that the young victim was a male toddler, who was likely 2 to 3 years old.
Several family members are also hurt. They apparently tried to fight the fire themselves before help arrived.Sgt. Butcher says the family is now staying with loved ones elsewhere in Union County.
Several Union County agencies responded. However, Sgt. Butcher said a Luttrell volunteer firefighter made it there first.
"He lives [nearby] and got [there] within a minute of the call, and, at that point, the structure was about 98 percent completely engulfed in flames," Sgt. Butcher said.
Butcher says the TBI and the State Bomb and Arson Squad will help Union County authorities investigate the case. However, they stress that that is a formality, and they have no reason to suspect foul play is involved.
Sgt. Butcher said investigators were on the scene until the early hours of Sunday morning.