A house fire in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, that killed longtime Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children early Saturday morning does not appear to have been set intentionally, according to preliminary investigative findings released by local officials on Monday.[1][2]
Pierce, 37, and her children—Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4—were found deceased inside the single-family home. Bystanders reported seeing flames coming through the roof. Pierce's husband, Mike Hinrichs, was out of town on a work trip at the time.[1][3]
The White Bear Lake Fire Department stated it is in the early stages of the investigation, with assistance from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. "Our preliminary findings have not led to any evidence that the fire was set intentionally," the department said. "The cause of the fire is still under investigation."[1][2]
Pierce covered the Minnesota Wild for NHL.com over 10 seasons, with her work also appearing in The Athletic, B1G Ice Hockey blog, Minnesota Hockey Journal and Massachusetts Hockey. She served as a beat reporter focusing on the NHL club based in Saint Paul.[4][5]
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin described Pierce as a "ray of sunshine" and expressed devastation over the loss. "Words just can’t express how devastated we all are," Guerin said. "It doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we are all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together."[1][3]
The investigation into the fire's cause continues, with further details to be released upon completion.[2]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Deadly house fire in Minnesota that claimed the lives of an NHL reporter and her three children over the weekend does not appear to have been intentional, officials say", October 14, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/deadly-minnesota-house-fire-nhl-reporter-kids-not-intentional
- White Bear Lake Fire Department, "Press Release: Update on Residential Fire Investigation", October 14, 2024, https://www.whitebearlakemn.gov/Home/Components/News/News/584/7
- Minnesota Wild (NHL.com), "Wild GM Bill Guerin comments on passing of reporter Jessi Pierce", October 13, 2024, https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/wild-gm-guerin-on-passing-of-reporter-jessi-pierce-20241013
- NHL.com, "Jessi Pierce Author Page", accessed October 14, 2024, https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/author/jessi-pierce
- The Athletic, "Jessi Pierce Contributor Profile", accessed October 14, 2024, https://theathletic.com/author/jessi-pierce/
