Visitation planned for family, friends of four children killed in Somers house fire
A visitation for four children killed in a house fire in Somers last week will take place Thursday as the community continues to rally around surviving family members and grapple with a tragedy that has rocked the quiet northern Connecticut town.
Visiting hours for family and friends will take place on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Leete-Stevens Enfield Funeral Home at 61 South Road, according to the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. A private funeral and burial for 11-year-old Lukas Koropatkin, 9-year-old Genevieve Koropatkin, 7-year-old Benjamin Koropatkin and 5-year-old Archer Koropatkin will happen at a later, unspecified time, the CFDA said in a statement Monday.
The four children died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries during a fire that broke out on Jan. 2 at a duplex on Quality Avenue where they lived with their mother and three other siblings, according to officials. The mother was working when the fire broke out, injuring the three surviving siblings, including a 19-year-old who suffered burns before jumping from the second floor to safety, according to fire officials.
According to his obituary, Archer alerted his siblings to the fire and helped save some of their lives. The 5-year-old was described in his obituary as “energetic and sweet.”
“He loved Paw Patrol, white puppies, and spending time with his friends at Somers Elementary School,” Archer’s obituary states. “He was a daredevil and knew how to ride a dirt bike before he knew how to ride a bicycle.”
Benjamin was described in his obituary as a “sweet and shy boy who was so creative and artistic.”
“He was known for making mosaic pictures with colored paper,” the 7-year-old’s obituary states. “He loved playing with Lego bricks, riding his scooter, drawing with crayons, markers and pencils, and spending time with his friends at Somers Elementary School. He also enjoyed hanging out with his siblings and playing super smash bros.”
According to her obituary, Genevieve was “beautiful, outgoing, clever, and talkative.”
“She was a girly girl who loved anything sparkly, pink, and purple, LOL dolls, Mini Brand dolls, doing her nails and makeup, and spending time with her friends at Somers Elementary School,” her obituary states. “She was high fashioned; she loved to wear jewelry and high heels.”
Lukas, the eldest of the siblings who died in the fire, had aspirations of being a YouTuber, as he loved the social media platform, according to his obituary. Lukas also loved fishing, basketball, Legos, Pokémon, and spending time with his friends at Mabelle B. Avery Middle School, his obituary states.
“He also enjoyed hanging out with his siblings and playing super smash bros,” according to the obituary.
Fire officials have said the fire started near the bottom of the stairs on the left side of the multi-family home, preventing the children from escaping.
According to fire officials, a family living on the right side of the duplex made it out safely without any injury.
Since the devastating blaze, which left survivors without a home, the community has rallied around the families with fundraising efforts, signs that read “Somers Strong” and search efforts for two dogs believed to have possibly escaped the fire, fire officials said. Three dogs were confirmed to have made it out of the fire safely, while a litter of puppies was killed, according to fire officials.
A GoFundMe started by the aunt of the four children killed had raised more than $38,000 as of Monday, surpassing its $30,000 goal. Another GoFundMe, started by a cousin of the family, has raised just over $95,000.
Several businesses have also stepped up to help, with Somers Strong wooden hearts and shirts being sold to help raise money for the families.
Donations have also been collected at the Town of Somers Angel Fund.
