For Enfield Fire Victim, 'It Was All About Family'

As Connecticut State Police continue their investigation into the early Wednesday fire that killed four people, one relative of the victims recalled that the matriarch of the family cared about people, especially her family.

In an interview with The Courant, Allan Johnson said the victims were part of his mother ‘s extended family. Orise T. Handfield’s extended family included Handfield’s grandson Joshua Johnson, 20; David Cygan, 19, the fiancé of Joshua’s brother, Richard Johnson; and Cathy Armes, 36, the mother of Allan Johnson’s child, according to Johnson.

Richard Johnson, 21, and his mother, Laurie Patnode, 36, survived the blaze. Other residents of the duplex who escaped were Mary LaPane and her sons, Andrew, 19, and Jack, 12.

Allan Johnson said that for his mother, life “was all about the family,” according to The Courant.

The fire was reported about 6:15 a.m. Dec. 10 and when firefighters arrived, fire was spewing from all of the windows, according to fire officials. It took four departments and 50 firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

According to a state police spokesman, investigators will not release the identities of the victims pending the completion of autospies and notification of relatives.

Allan Johnson told The Courant that his sister Laurie Patnode told him the fire began in a Christmas tree located on the first floor of the duplex and there was an explosion, possibly from the oxygen tank that Handfield used to sleep every night.

State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said investigators have not determined the cause of the fire which caused the second floor of the home to collapse onto the first floor.

Meanwhile, the Town of Enfield Social Services Department is coordinating relief efforts for the families. Financial contributions can be made to the Enfield Food Shelf and mailed to Social Services at 100 High Street, Enfield, CT 06082.

The Courant interview with Allan Johnson can be found here.

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• Update: Four Dead Following Enfield House Fire