The husband of late NHL reporter Jessi Pierce was out of town on business when he was first informed of the devastating news that would change his life forever.
Mike Hinrichs received a Saturday, March 21, phone call from police, shortly after authorities responded to his single-family home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, as it was engulfed in flames.
Hinrichs told police that he was about to board a flight home, adding that his wife, Jessi, and their three children — sons Hudson, 8, and Cayden, 6, and daughter Avery, 4 — were likely inside the home, according to a search warrant affidavit viewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Piece, 37, and all three of their children died in the fire, which also killed the family’s dog.
Hinrichs addressed the tragedy in a statement released by the White Bear Lake fire department on Wednesday, March 25.
“We have been in close contact with Mike to support him, his family and his friends,” the department said. “He has asked us to share his request for privacy while he grieves and the rest of his family and friends navigate this unimaginable time.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though authorities have ruled out arson.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they were met with “intense flames as they tried to breach the front door to begin firefighting and rescue attempts, which prevented their initial entry into the dwelling,” according to the search warrant.
Authorities found the home “fully engulfed” with flames “shooting up dozens of feet in the air.”
Once first responders were able to safely enter the home, Pierce and her three children were found “in the main living area at the front of the address near the entryway.”
As investigators attempt to piece together what led to the tragic incident, the search warrant indicated that investigators want to look at multiple items found in and around the home, including: flammables, candles, electrical wiring, battery-operated devices, heating devices, household appliances, any altered natural gas piping and vehicles on the property at the time.
“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 fire department said in their Wednesday statement.
A GoFundMe has been established to help Hinrichs “cover funeral expenses and to provide financial support,” which has raised more than $230,000 at the time of publication.
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