JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Family and friends are grieving the Jacksonville boy who died in a house fire on the westside last week.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said 8-year-old Duncan Thomas got stuck in the home, which was engulfed in flames, on Thursday.
Angi Nagy met Duncan and his mother Kristin Thomas at church.
Nagy said Kristin is surrounded by a great support system of family and friends, getting through this one minute at a time.
His grandfather, who was at the home with Duncan, is "incredibly distraught" about what happened.
A man who called 911 during the fire said: "There's a baby trapped inside this house."
That "baby" was Duncan.
"He left an impression with every single person he met," Nagy said.
Nagy said Duncan’s death is unbelievable to those who loved him.
"He's such a huge light,” Nagy said. “He's such a presence with everybody all the time. It still doesn't feel real. to any of us. It feels like we're walking through the middle of a nightmare. It's just not… It just can't, it can't be."
According to JSO, Duncan's grandfather was cooking chicken on the stovetop and stepped out of the home for a few minutes. It turned into a grease fire.
Duncan's grandfather tried to go back in and save him, but the flames were too intense.
Nagy describes the boy as creative and joyful, saying he loved to draw comics and play Zelda.
"He thought outside the box,” Nagy said. “The way that he looked at things from his eight-year-old perspective was just delightful. I laughed a lot. He's just so funny and smart and such an imagination."
Friends have started a GoFundMe to help Duncan’s family, and it's already raised more than $20,000.
Nagy said he will never be forgotten.
"Everybody just delighted in his stories and his imagination, his creativity,” Nagy said, “and he's just a precious beautiful, beautiful soul, and so the light will never dim ever."
A celebration of life for Duncan is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m. Unity Church of Jacksonville.
The public is invited to honor him and his mother asks attendees to wear Duncan’s favorite colors: purple and orange.
