NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
A 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 said Monday, citing preliminary investigative findings.
The White Bear Lake Fire Department issued a statement Monday following the Saturday morning fire that claimed the lives of Minnesota Wild correspondent Jessi Pierce, 37, and her three children.
The Minnesota Wild announced that reporter Jessi Pierce died in a fire at her home along with her three children. (Minnesota Wild)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
“We are in the early stages of the investigation and our preliminary findings have not led to any evidence that the fire was intentionally set,” the news release reads. “The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The official cause and more information will be released once the investigation is complete.”
Officials said that in addition to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, they are “devoting every resource possible to this investigation.”
“Words cannot express how devastated we all are,” Guerin said of Pierce. “But, as I mentioned to some of you the other night, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we’re all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together.” (Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI)
WILD GM BILL GUERIN CALLS WRITER JESSI PIERCE A ‘RAY OF SUNSHINE’ AFTER HIS CHILDREN’S GREAT DEATH
Authorities said Pierce and her children were found deceased in the single-family home, and passersby reported seeing flames shooting through the roof early Saturday morning. Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, was reportedly out of town on a work trip at the time of the fire.
Their children, Hudson, Cayden and Avery, were 8, 6 and 4 years old.
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin remembered Pierce as a “ray of sunshine.”
Jessi Pierce, left, pinned for the Minnesota Wild. (Minnesota Wild/AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
“Words cannot express how devastated we all are,” Guerin said. “But, as I mentioned to some of you the other night, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we’re all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together.”
Pierce covered the Wild for 10 seasons with NHL.com. He has also published his work in The Athletic, the B1G Ice Hockey blog, Minnesota Hockey Journal, and Massachusetts Hockey.
