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Kevin Corey and his wife were attempting to burn old files in their backyard on Jan. 30, but things "quickly got out of hand," Corey's daughter Jenna Guercia said.
The gas can Corey, of Springfield, was using got too close to the fire pit, and exploded, NBC4 reported.
Corey served as the youth minister at the Calvary Road Baptist Church, and was apparently in the process of relocating to a church in Southwest Virginia.
Corey was flown to a burn center in Washington DC with third-degree burns covering 65% of his body, his wife following in an ambulance. His wife suffered second-degree burns on her hands, Jenna said.
On Feb. 7, Corey took his last breath.
His daughter, Jenna, wrote on Facebook, "We are so happy that he is no longer in pain and his body is healed, but we are so heartbroken. There will never be enough words to tell of the impact he had on my life and the lives of so many."
His death attracted an outpouring of support on social media.
"Fly high Pastor Corey, you’ll be missed by many, many people, crazy how fast life changes," Hannah Narehood said. "You were a really kind person and brought a lot of kids together at winter and summer camps, along with bringing them closer to god. Crazy I was just making cards with some people for you tonight a couple hours ago."
Arrangements have not yet been finalized.
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