Man killed in Rocky Top apartment fire identified
Sixty-eight-year-old Danny Cecil Parks was killed in the apartment building fire in Rocky Top on Jan. 23.
A service will be held at Jones Mortuary in Clinton on Jan. 28. He will be buried on Monday, Jan. 29, at the Clinch River Baptist Church cemetery in the Medford community of Rocky Top, as shared in the obituary posted to the Jones Mortuary website.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released information Friday stating that Parks had been identified as the victim of the early morning fire. TBI special agent fire investigators are working alongside the Rocky Top Police and Fire departments to investigate the cause of the deadly fire in the old brick store building on South Main Street in the center of the city formerly known as Lake City, and before that, Coal Creek.
Eight to 10 people occupied the five apartments on the second floor of the building, according to Rocky Top Police Chief John Thomas. He said the city fire department was called to the scene at 3:56 a.m. Tuesday and began fighting the fire and evacuating residents. They were joined by fire departments from parts of Anderson and Campbell counties. The American Red Cross arrived later that morning to help the people who were left without a home by the fire. Townspeople are also posting to social media platforms and setting up GoFundMe accounts to help them restart their lives.
The first floor of the building was being rented by local residents Gregg and Melissa Wilson and their family to store and ship items from their eBay store, according to Melissa.
"We're OK. Just doing whatever we have to do to start over. Its going to be fine. I have faith. The people in those apartments are the real victims," she stated Friday morning.
The life of Danny Cecil Parks
Parks was a Lake City High School graduate, but was born in Washington, North Carolina, to a military family, according to his obituary. He was the oldest child and only son of Carter and Bobbie Parks. His father died earlier, and he is survived by his mother, four younger sisters, a son, daughter, several grandchildren, and many extended family members.
After graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Air Force and later worked as a landscaper, before he retired. He also served for decades as a coach, umpire, and organizer of youth sports and adult softball at the Lake City Ball Field.
"He was deeply loved by his extended family and friends and was known for his quick wit, joking manner, and mischievous, smiling eyes," his obituary reads.
The obituary concludes with this request: "In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider supporting the other victims of the Rocky Top fire who tragically lost everything they owned as they fled the rapidly advancing fire. Danny loved his neighbors, and our thoughts are with the other families who are left to rebuild their lives after this disaster."
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. She also is a Lake City/Rocky Top native and resident. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @ridgernewsed.
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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: TBI: One person killed in apartment fire in Rocky Top
