Minnesota hockey reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children were killed in a house fire early Saturday in White Bear Lake, authorities said, as investigators began examining what caused the blaze at the family home.
Pierce, 37, was a familiar presence around the Minnesota Wild and in Twin Cities sports media, and the deaths quickly rippled through a close hockey community that gathered around the team and the family by Monday. Officials said the fire remains under investigation, with the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office helping lead the work. Firefighters said preliminary findings had not produced evidence that the fire was set intentionally, but they had not announced a cause, an origin point or any timeline for when more detailed findings might be released.
The fire department said crews were called to a single-family home in the 2100 block of Richard Avenue just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday after neighbors reported flames coming through the roof and warned that people were likely still inside. When firefighters arrived, they found what officials described as a fully involved structure fire. After knocking down the blaze, crews entered the home and found one adult and three children dead. A dog also died in the fire. On Sunday, the Minnesota Wild and the NHL identified the adult as Pierce, who had covered the Wild for NHL.com for the past decade and had also built a following as co-host of the Bardown Beauties podcast. AP and other outlets later reported the children were Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4. Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, was away on a work trip when the fire broke out.
By Monday, officials were beginning to add a little detail while also making clear how much was still unknown. The White Bear Lake Fire Department said preliminary findings had not led investigators to any evidence that the fire was intentionally set. Fire Chief Greg Peterson said the city’s heart ached for everyone involved and asked for space for the community to support one another. In a later department statement, officials said their priorities were to be present for those directly affected, conduct a thorough investigation and make sure first responders heal alongside the community. Still unanswered were the basic questions that usually shape an early fire inquiry: where the blaze started, how it spread so quickly, and what investigators may be learning from the structure itself, from interviews and from physical evidence collected at the scene. For now, the cause remains undetermined.
The loss carried unusual weight in Minnesota because Pierce worked in a sport that holds a special place in the state. The Wild have long been central to the region’s sports identity, and Pierce had become one of the best-known media voices around the team through daily reporting, rink-side interviews and podcast work. White Bear Lake sits northeast of downtown St. Paul, not far from where the Wild play, and that closeness showed in the reaction. The team returned to practice Monday still shaken after learning of the deaths before Saturday’s game against Dallas. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon said the news was hard to believe and remembered Pierce as someone who brought light into the room. NHL.com editor-in-chief Bill Price said her love of family and hockey showed in the energy she brought to the job. For colleagues, this was not only a local fire story but also the sudden loss of a reporter who had become part of the sport’s daily rhythm.
What happens next is procedural, but it will matter deeply to the family and to a community searching for answers. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is helping lead the inquiry alongside the White Bear Lake Fire Department, and officials have said they will release more information when it becomes available. That means investigators still must determine the fire’s origin and official cause before they can say how the blaze began. On Monday, police and firefighters were still at the home as the investigation continued. There were also visible signs of mourning outside, with flowers and stuffed animals left near the property. At the same time, support for the surviving family began to take shape elsewhere. A fundraiser set up to help Hinrichs with funeral costs and financial support had collected more than $125,000 by Monday afternoon, according to reporting carried by AP. No public timetable had been announced for final investigative findings, memorial plans or any public briefing beyond the updates already issued.
The most personal tributes came from people who knew Pierce at the rink and away from it. In a statement reported by local media, Hinrichs said Pierce was beautiful, vibrant and full of life, and that she made people feel welcome. Her podcast co-host, Kirsten Krull, said Pierce had been like a big sister and remembered her confidence, work ethic and readiness to help without hesitation. Around the Wild, the grief sounded just as immediate. General manager Bill Guerin said words could not express how devastated everyone was and called Pierce a ray of sunshine. Spurgeon remembered her bringing the children into the dressing room during interviews, a memory that turned the team’s mourning into something even more intimate. Coach John Hynes said he hoped people would carry on her legacy through the smile, passion and kindness she showed others. Late Monday, the fire was still unsolved, and the tributes were still growing.
Authorities had not announced a cause for the fire as of Monday night. The next milestone is expected to be another update from investigators as they continue work at the home and review evidence from the scene.
Author note: Last updated March 23, 2026.