NEIGHBORS HEARD SOMETHING BEFORE THE FIRE

Late NHL reporter Jessi Pierce posted photos of her three children enjoying an outing just one day before they were all killed in a house fire
One of the photos featured the children with ice cream, and another showed one of Pierce’s sons eating a sandwich
Firefighters found Pierce and her three kids deceased inside a home in Minnesota in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 21

Late NHL reporter Jessi Pierce posted photos of her three children just one day before she died alongside them in a tragic house fire.

Pierce, who was 37 at the time of her death, shared the photos on X on Friday, March 20. One of the photos featured all three children — Hudson, Cayden and Avery — enjoying ice cream. Another showed one of her sons eating a sandwich.

“Bag(s) secured,” Pierce playfully captioned the post.

Pierce and her three children died in a house fire in Minnesota the following day.

On Saturday, March 21, firefighters responded to a residential structure fire at a single-family home located on the 2100 block of Richard Avenue at around 5:25 a.m. local time, according to the White Bear Lake Fire Department.

Jessi Pierce’s children.Jessi Pierce/X

Upon arrival, crews found a fully involved structure fire. Firefighters immediately began fire suppression efforts and were able to locate an adult, three children and a dog inside the house.

Unfortunately, the White Bear Lake Fire Department confirmed that all were deceased.

Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now!

“Our hearts ache for all those involved in this tragedy,” Fire Chief Greg Peterson wrote in a news release. “We ask for the opportunity to allow our community to come together and support one another during this difficult time.”

Shortly after the incident, the NHL confirmed that Pierce, who was a contributor to NHL.com for the past 10 seasons, as well as a co-host of the Bardown Beauties podcast, had died in the fire alongside Hudson, Cayden and Avery.

Jessi Pierce’s children.Jessi Pierce/Instagram

“The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three young children,” the NHL said in a statement. “Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Michael Russo, a reporter for The Athletic, paid tribute to Pierce on social media while sending condolences to her husband, Mike.

Related Stories

Dad and 12-Year-Old Son Die After Fire in Building Without Working Smoke Detectors

85-Year-Old Woman Escapes Deadly House Fire That Claimed the Life of Her Husband After 50 Years Together in the Property

“Jessi Pierce (Hinrichs) was the most vibrant person — the life of the party, always with a smile on her face, always bringing a passion to every article and podcast and interview she did,” he wrote on X. “Jessi simply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota and had a way of brightening everyone’s day with her upbeat, bubbly personality. I have literally NEVER met anybody that had a way of being EVERYBODY’s friend.”

Jessie Pierce with her children.Jessi Pierce/X

“Life can be unbearably unfair sometimes, and it’s impossible to make sense of this tragedy,” Russo continued. “A lot of tears were shed at the arena yesterday. We, in the Wild media and inside the Wild, will miss seeing Jessi every day, laughing with her every day. The press box and press room won’t be the same without her.”

After graduating from Iowa State University, the late journalist became an NHL writer, working for the Minnesota Wild and going on to have her work featured in numerous publications, including USA Hockey, The Athletic and the Minnesota Hockey Journal.