DEVASTATING FIRE. THE MEMORIAL OUTSIDE OF THIS OAK PARK HOME IS FOR BRIAN CONNORS. THIS ONE’S MY BROTHER AND I. HIS SISTER KELLY HELPED TO PUT IT TOGETHER. THIS IS MY BROTHER WITH HIS DAUGHTER, MINNIE. BRIAN DIED ON JANUARY 12TH. THE UNIT HE LIVED IN ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THIS HOME, CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS JUST REALLY KIND, SOFT HEARTED PERSON. AND HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE THIS WAY. SACRAMENTO FIRE SAYS THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE. AS FOR EXACTLY HOW BRIAN DIED. THE CORONER’S OFFICE IS STILL INVESTIGATING. IT’S HARD TO, YOU KNOW, ACCEPT. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. KELLY SAYS THEIR MOM JUST HAD DINNER WITH HIM HOURS BEFORE THE EARLY MORNING FIRE, AND THAT HE WAS SET TO START A NEW JOB THE NEXT WEEK. SO HE WAS JUST REALLY EXCITED AND HAPPY ABOUT THAT. BRIAN WAS A VERY, VERY KIND, GENEROUS MAN AND HE HAD A LOT OF LIFE LEFT TO LIVE. HIS FAMILY SAYS HE ALWAYS LED WITH GENEROSITY, AND THEY’RE HOPING TO DO THE SAME AS THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR A CEREMONY. HE WOULD DESERVE. AND IT HURTS ME THAT WE CAN’T AFFORD TO GIVE HIM WHAT WHAT HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN US. JUST, LIKE, REALLY DIFFICULT. AS THEY PLAN HOW TO SAY GOODBYE, THEY’RE HOLDING ON TO THE MEMORIES. THIS IS LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES. AND THE 37 YEARS THEY HAD TOGETHER. IT’S MY BROTHER. HIS MOTORCYCLE. ME. AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE GROWING MEMORIAL OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE HERE. IT HAS SOME OF HIS FAVORITE THINGS AND MESSAGES FROM THOSE WHO LOVED HIM. LIVE IN OA
‘It’s hard to accept’: Sacramento family mourns loss of son in Oak Park house fire
The family of Brian Connors, who died in a house fire in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, is grappling with the loss and seeking answers about the cause of the blaze.
Updated: 10:09 PM PST Jan 21, 2026
A family in Sacramento is mourning the loss of Brian Connors, a 37-year-old man who died in a house fire on January 12 in the Oak Park neighborhood, as they seek answers about the cause of the blaze.Connors was a father, son, brother, and uncle. His sister, Kelli, helped create a memorial outside the home where he lived. There are photos of Brian with his daughter, messages from those who loved him, and some of his favorite things. “He was just a really kind, soft-hearted person. And he didn’t deserve to die this way,” she said.Sacramento Fire said they weren’t able to determine the cause of the fire, but can reopen the case if additional information comes in. As for exactly how Brian died, the coroner’s office is still investigating.”It’s hard to accept, especially because we don’t know what happened,” Kelli said. Kelli shared that their mother had dinner with Brian just hours before the early morning fire and that he was excited about starting a new job the following week. “Brian was a very, very kind, generous man, and he had a lot of life left to live,” his father, Eric Connors, said. His family is now trying to figure out how to afford a ceremony that would honor his memory. They have started a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral and memorial expenses. “Brian had a way of making the world feel softer. He was kind without needing recognition, loving without hesitation, and steady in all the ways that mattered. Losing him so suddenly has left a void that words can’t fill,” the GoFundMe, written by Kelli, reads. “It hurts me that we can’t afford to give him what he would have given us,” Eric said.As they plan their farewell, the family is cherishing the memories and the 37 years they had with Brian. “He was a very generous person. He would literally give you the shirt off of his back,” Kelli said. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A family in Sacramento is mourning the loss of Brian Connors, a 37-year-old man who died in a house fire on January 12 in the Oak Park neighborhood, as they seek answers about the cause of the blaze.
Connors was a father, son, brother, and uncle.
His sister, Kelli, helped create a memorial outside the home where he lived. There are photos of Brian with his daughter, messages from those who loved him, and some of his favorite things.
“He was just a really kind, soft-hearted person. And he didn’t deserve to die this way,” she said.
Sacramento Fire said they weren’t able to determine the cause of the fire, but can reopen the case if additional information comes in. As for exactly how Brian died, the coroner’s office is still investigating.
“It’s hard to accept, especially because we don’t know what happened,” Kelli said.
Kelli shared that their mother had dinner with Brian just hours before the early morning fire and that he was excited about starting a new job the following week.
“Brian was a very, very kind, generous man, and he had a lot of life left to live,” his father, Eric Connors, said.
His family is now trying to figure out how to afford a ceremony that would honor his memory. They have started a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral and memorial expenses.
“Brian had a way of making the world feel softer. He was kind without needing recognition, loving without hesitation, and steady in all the ways that mattered. Losing him so suddenly has left a void that words can’t fill,” the GoFundMe, written by Kelli, reads.
“It hurts me that we can’t afford to give him what he would have given us,” Eric said.
As they plan their farewell, the family is cherishing the memories and the 37 years they had with Brian.
“He was a very generous person. He would literally give you the shirt off of his back,” Kelli said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel