GATESVILLE (July 20, 2010)—Eric Balch, a coach in the La Vega ISD, was in stable condition Tuesday in the Parkland Hospital Burn Center in Dallas with burns over more than 35 percent of his body after an explosion and fire in the garage of his home in Gatesville that claimed the life of his 2-year-old son Mason and badly injured his 3-year-old son Cade.

Cade was also in stable condition Tuesday at Parkland, but will likely require skin graft surgery later.

Balch’s wife Tammy, a fifth grade teacher at Gatesville Intermediate School, and two daughters, Ashley, 9, and Brooklyn, 6, were at a birthday party at the time of the fire and weren’t injured.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office spent the day Tuesday at Parkland and was expected to complete his investigation Wednesday.

Meanwhile friends and neighbors continue to organize benefits and blood drives.

A fund for the Balch family has been established at First National Bank in Gatesville and the Eric Balch Family Fund has been set up at the American Bank in Bellmead.

A blood drive for Eric Balch will be held from noon until 6 p.m. Wednesday in the gym of First United Methodist Church in Gatesville.

A bake sale will be held at the same time in the fellowship hall.

Blood drives are also scheduled Saturday at the Masonic Lodge on Highway 317 and 4th Street in Crawford and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Richland Mall in Waco.

Another blood drive was scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 27 in front of La Vega High School.

Carter BloodCare of Waco, however, says any donations made using sponsor number SPON049693 will be credited To Eric Balch.

The Waco Donor Center at 4332 West Waco Drive is open from 9 a.m. Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, a benefit garage sale will be held in the parking lot of the Gatesville Church of Christ on East Main Street.

On Saturday, friends plan a benefit carwash starting at 9 a.m. at Express Car Care in Gatesville.

A prayer service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on the south side of the Coryell County Courthouse in Gatesville.

On Aug. 8, a benefit will be held at the Coryell Community Complex that includes a barbecue at 11 a.m. at which lunches may be purchased for $7, and a silent auction and raffle.

An investigator from the state Fire Marshal’s Office is now expected Wednesday in Gatesville to confirm the cause of the explosion and fire, which happened at around 6 p.m. Saturday while the two boys were in the garage of the family’s home in the 100 block of Fairway Drive.

Eric Balch was working in the yard when he heard the explosion and raced to the garage.

He was burned when went inside and pulled his sons out of the flames.

Eric Balch was flown directly to Parkland Hospital Saturday night.

Mason and Cade were taken first to Scott & White Hospital, in Temple, and later Saturday night they both were flown to Dallas, as well.

Mason died Sunday morning.

A golf tournament was underway at the nearby Gatesville Country Club at the time of the explosion and fire.

About two-dozen golfers rushed to the scene and were among the first to offer assistance.

But their efforts didn’t stop here.

The tournament attracted 200 teams from around the state, most of which weren’t local.

But as word of the tragic accident spread, the players contributed $6,000 for the family.