Community Trying to Cope with Tragedy
Kim Bedford

Friendsville, Blount County (WVLT) - The Sheriff's Department is not releasing the names of the four children in the Debuty family.

But we know that three children killed in the fire went to school at Friendsville Elementary.

A 7-year-old girl, 10-year-old boy, and 12-year-old boy. The 14-year-old female was a freshman at William Blount High School.

Pastors and grief counselors are at the elementary school and high school trying to help the young children deal with this tragedy. The Director of Blount County Schools Alvin Hord is in Middle Tennessee right now and tells WVLT, "This is a sad, tragic event, and we will help the family and students to get through this."

"I don't know what I would do, I'd be crying right now I'm just gonna be a little more careful around my house," says neighbor Arnold Ebalo.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. We're told the parents Ross and Amanda Debuty and their 2-year-old that made it out were not injured you just can't imagine what they are going through right now.

We hope to hear more about these four children who lost their lives, we'll have the latest tonight at 5:30.