Investigators in Minnesota have released their initial findings about the house fire that killed NHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three young children.
The deadly fire was not caused by arson, the White Bear Lake Fire Department said in an update on Monday, March 23.
“Our priorities are, first and foremost, being present for those directly affected by this tragedy, conducting a thorough investigation, and ensuring our first responders involved in this incident heal alongside the community,” the department said in a statement.
Pierce, who covered the Minnesota Wild, and her three children — sons Hudson, 8, and Cayden, 6, and daughter Avery, 4 — were all killed when their single-family home caught on fire on Saturday, March 21. Pierce was 37 years old at the time of her death. The family’s dog also died in the tragedy.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, was out of town on business at the time of the incident.
Neighbor Julie Andrus told The Minnesota Star Tribune that she was “sleeping” when the blaze broke out in the early morning hours.
“By the time the cops woke us, it was like a tornado of smoke,” she said.
Pierce, who was a fierce advocate for women’s voices in hockey, was remembered in a poignant tribute by her “Bardown Beauties” podcast cohost, Kirsten Krull, on Monday.
“Family isn’t always blood, but the people you choose and that couldn’t have been more true,” Krull wrote via Instagram. “Jessi was like another big sister to me. She had a confidence and a way of being able to talk to anyone that I envied. She had an unmatched work ethic and a huge heart. Any time I needed help, needed to rant, or needed someone she was there without hesitation. Most importantly, she was the best mom and loved her kids and family fiercely.”
Krull, who works as the in-arena host for the Wild, said Pierce “brought me into her world and introduced me to her family and friends and I’m so grateful she did.”
“Hudson, Cayden and Avery were the best kids and I’m so grateful she let me be part of their lives,” she added. “The visits on game days, being able to come to their house and hang out with the family are memories I cherish.”
A GoFundMe was organized to help financially assist Hinrichs during “an unimaginably difficult time,” which has raised nearly $200,000 at the time of this story’s publication.
