NHL reporter Jessi Pierce’s husband has spoken out on the ‘unthinkable loss’ of his wife and three children after they were killed in a tragic house fire last weekend.
The 38-year-old Pierce – whose legal name was Jessi Hinrichs – and children Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4, all died after a devastating blaze engulfed their family home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota early Saturday morning.
‘We are completely devastated at the tragic loss of Jessi, Hudson, Cayden and Avery Hinrichs. We have lost a beautiful wife, daughter, sister and friend in Jessi, and three amazing children who were the light of our lives, Hudson, Cayden and Avery, whose lives were all taken too soon,’ Mike Hinrichs and his family said in a statement on Thursday, via Fox 9.
‘We thank everyone for the extraordinary amount of love and support during this difficult time. From the fire departments and first responders to the White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi communities to the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, local hockey communities, and the nationwide support, we are grateful for the outpouring of compassion we have received.
‘We ask for continued privacy during this extremely difficult time as we grieve this unthinkable loss.’
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the fire at the Hinrichs’ family home was so overwhelming that officers and firefighters were initially prevented from getting inside to rescue any potential survivors.
Jessi Pierce’s husband received a gut-wrenching phone call from police after the house fire that killed his wife and kids broke out last weekend
The 38-year-old Pierce – whose legal name was Jessi Hinrichs – and children Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4, all died in the fire
Police are then said to have reached Jessi’s husband Mike by phone after they were thwarted from entering the property. He was about to board a plane back to Minnesota when he got the call.
The father-of-three, who was away with work, confirmed that his wife and kids should have been in the house.
Once the blaze was contained, police and fire personnel found Jessi, Hudson, Cayden and Avery deceased in the main living area at the front of the address near the entryway. A deceased dog was also discovered.
An investigation to determine the cause of the fire is now underway, with the White Bear Lake Fire Department’s preliminary findings indicating there is no evidence that it was started intentionally.
Upon arrival police officers said they could see ‘flames shooting up dozens of feet in the air’ from adjacent streets. They arrived to find the home ‘fully engulfed with flames erupting from the center of the dwelling.’
Firefighters also encountered ‘intense flames as they tried to breach the front door to begin firefighting and rescue attempts, which prevented their initial entry into the dwelling.’
Investigators have cast a wide net in their pursuit of what started the house fire despite ruling out arson as a possibility.
An array of items they want to examine were listed in their search warrant affidavit, such as flammables, candles, electrical wiring, battery-operated devices, heating devices, household appliances, any altered natural gas piping and vehicles on the property at the time.
Pierce and her kids were found dead in the living area of their home after firefighters entered
Autopsy results for Pierce, who covered the Minnesota Wild for NHL.com for the past decade, and the children are pending the findings of toxicology results.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Mike in his time of need and provide financial support for funeral costs. As of Friday morning, the fundraiser has brought in over $220,000 and is targeting a total of $250k.
‘Mike is gonna need all the support moving forward, so to see all of the people wanting to support him is incredible,’ Pierce’s podcast co-host and close friend Kirsten Krull told the Daily Mail this week.
‘He was an amazing husband, an amazing father. He is amazing. And it just breaks my heart knowing that he’s dealing with the worst thing that could have happened to him right now.’
