Update on Feb. 6, 2017: The Knoxville Fire Department identified an 18-month-old toddler killed in a house fire last week.
Firefighters found Jesse England in a bedroom near the corner of the structure on the 3900 block of Alma Avenue on Thursday afternoon, according to KFD.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Original Story on Feb. 2, 2017: A Knoxville family is grieving the loss of a baby boy in a house fire.
When Knoxville firefighters arrived at the home on Alma Avenue in East Knoxville just before 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, they found a man, woman, and two children outside the burning home.
Knoxville Fire Department spokesman D.J. Corcoran said it was obvious the parents had tried to get back inside the house to get to the 18-month-old, who was in a back bedroom. Both adults were covered in soot and had been burned.
Firefighters also attempted 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.
The little boy died before firefighters could reach him. His parents were transported to UT Medical Center for treatment of injuries and smoke inhalation. His two brothers, aged 3 and 5, were taken to East Tennessee Children's Hospital to be treated for injuries.
Corcoran said the firefighters are struggling 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 explained.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire, but they think it may have started in the kitchen.
