The Minnesota house fire that killed hockey reporter Jessi Pierce and her three young children in March was deemed accidental and stemmed from an electrical source, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Fire Marshal division’s investigation report released Thursday.
Pierce, a 37-year-old NHL.com reporter who covered the Wild, her three children — Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4 — and the family dog died in a house fire on March 21.
Her husband, Mike Hinrichs, was out of town at the time for work.
He made his first public comments Thursday after previously asking for privacy through the White Bear Lake (Minn.) fire department.
“On the morning of March 21, my world came crashing down when the lives of my beloved wife, Jessi, and our three beautiful children … were all lost to me forever in the horrible fire that destroyed our home,” he said in a statement. “This truly unfathomable loss and all-consuming grief is with me every day and will be forever with every breath God allows me to take.”
The White Bear Lake fire department previously said it responded to a call from neighbors at 5:26 a.m. regarding a fire at a single-family home on Richard Avenue.
The neighbors said they saw fire coming from the roof and believed people were inside the residence in White Bear Lake, Minn.
The fire department ruled out arson six months ago and began an investigation.
The investigation unearthed that the fire had been caused by the overheating of electrical equipment in a room that had been used as an office.
While the home had fire detectors, the investigators could not say how many had been in use at the time or their exact location due to either fire damage or the roof collapsing.
The alarm near the bedroom would have been activated roughly four minutes after the fire began, but by five minutes “the primary escape path would have been almost impossible to navigate,” per the release.
The report said the home had been built in 1952 and had less electrical outlets than modern homes and the smoke alarms were not interconnected.
“This was an absolute tragedy, and six months later, our thoughts remain with the family’s loved ones, their friends, their neighbors and the broader community,” White Bear Lake fire chief Greg Peterson said in the release.
Hinrichs’ statement included a long list of people he thanked for the their help, including the investigators, the Wild and the hockey community at large.
A GoFundMe had raised more than $248,000, as of Thursday afternoon.
“My deepest thanks and gratitude go out to all those in the community that have supported me and our other family members in this darkest of times,” he wrote. “Your kindness has not gone unnoticed, even if we have been too number to adequately acknowledge your compassion and sympathy.”
He also opened up on how the hockey community’s support touched him, along with a new hockey tournament being started in her honor.
“Family always came first for Jessi, but all things hockey ran a close second,” he said in his statement. “She loved the Wild and the game of hockey with boundless enthusiasm and communicated her joy and passion for the sport to all those who could hear her voice.
“Recently, it was announced that that Jessi Pierce Community Cup Hockey Tournament will be played in December honoring her memory. A truly amazing way to honor her. Thank you sincerely for making that a part of her legacy.”
