- New details emerged on Tuesday about the fire that caused the death in November of former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
- Authorities were unable to determine the cause of the fire, but offered four possible scenarios.
- In one, officials said the fire may have resulted from “carelessness or even an intentional act by Hsieh”.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
New details emerged on Tuesday about the Connecticut fire, which resulted in the death of Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, who died in November at the age of 46.
Authorities have so far failed to determine the exact cause of the fire that occurred on the morning of November 18 at a property in New London, Connecticut, according to a report released on Tuesday that outlined the findings of the New London Fire Department. Vernon Skau.
No criminal charges stemming from the fire have been filed, New London officials said on Tuesday. Without the autopsy report, authorities said investigations by the police and the fire department were “stalled”.
Hsieh’s death sparked a wave of emotions and memorials for many Zappos employees, former colleagues and others close to the Internet entrepreneur, who was considered a life inspiration for many. In his final months, Hsieh moved from Las Vegas to Park City, Utah, where he snapped up millions of dollars in residential homes, became fascinated with fire and inhaled nitrous oxide, or hilarious gas, as Insider and others reported. The substance can cause an intense sensation, but of short duration, when inhaled.
Through a representative, Hsieh’s family declined to comment on the new details released on Tuesday.
What caused the fire
In the report, Skau and the investigators highlighted four possible explanations for the fire. The first was a portable propane heater that possibly “came into direct contact with or near heating elements with nearby fuels, resulting in a fire”. The propane heater was not designed for indoor use because it releases carbon monoxide, officials said at a news conference.
Another scenario, investigators determined, was that “carelessly disposed smoking material,” whether cigarettes or marijuana, according to the report, was responsible for the fire, which occurred in a shed attached to the house. “Several” discarded cigarettes and a pipe used to smoke marijuana were found at the scene of the fire, the report said.
The investigators also found “several Whip-It nitrous oxide carriers,” a whipped cream dispenser and bottles of Fernet Branca liquor, according to the report. Authorities said they could not conclude whether Hsieh had consumed these substances before or during the fire, as the autopsy report had not yet been released.
The chief coroner’s office in Connecticut said earlier that Hsieh’s death was the result of complications from accidental smoke inhalation.
Previously notified individuals close to Hsieh said he had been away from family and close friends in recent months.
View more: Tony Hsieh suffered a ‘psychotic break’ on a bus trip in late June. This led his loved ones to try interventions and paved the way for his Zappos resignation.
The broken shed doors are seen after emergency workers rescued Hsieh from the inside.
New London Fire Department
The investigators also speculated that the “misuse of candles” may have caused the fire. A person who spent time with Hsieh in Park City told Insider earlier that Hsieh was fascinated with candles, sometimes setting them on fire to see them “explode”. Authorities said on Tuesday that Hsieh’s associates said he liked candles because they reminded him of a “simpler time” in his life.
The fourth possibility, according to the report, was that the fire was the result of “Hsieh’s carelessness or even intentional act”. Fire investigators found a Ziploc bag that contained pieces of burnt post-its “near the fire source area,” according to the report. The investigators also found a gray basket “distant from the area of origin” that contained pieces of burnt paper.
“Although neither of these examples is the cause of the fire, both are indicative of a pattern of fire configuration that could have caused the fire. This oversight could not be eliminated as the cause of the fire,” said the report.
Hsieh died on November 27, about a week after the fire, and after being transferred by helicopter to the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital, 60 miles west of New London.
During the fire, emergency crews breached the shed door to remove Hsieh, who did not respond to calls to open the doors. Before the authorities arrived, Hsieh’s colleagues and friends, who were with him on the Connecticut property, tried to rescue him from the locked shed, but were unable to enter.
The fire-damaged property can be seen inside the shed after emergency workers removed Hsieh from inside.
New London Fire Department
Firefighters responded to several calls days before Hsieh’s death
The fire department was summoned to the property twice on November 16, two days before Hsieh’s death, because a smoke alarm automatically alerted authorities. On the second visit to the house, firefighters entered the property and discovered pieces of burnt plastic, according to the report.
According to a schedule released on Tuesday, investigators determined that Hsieh entered the shed just before midnight, after he was asked to leave after an argument with Rachael Brown, his girlfriend and the former Zappos employee who owned it property.
Brett Gorman, an Hsieh employee, found that Hsieh lit the fire inside the shed using a candle and brought him the propane heater outside the shed to help him keep warm. Gorman then monitored Hsieh at 10-minute intervals, according to the report.
View more: Anonymous calls to the police this summer alerted the behavior of former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh – including threats of injury – and he was transported to a hospital in June
At around 3:14 am, images from security cameras showed smoke coming out of the shed when Hsieh opened the doors. At about 3:20 am, Hsieh’s brother Andy informed Hsieh that a limo had arrived to take them from the property for a planned trip to Maui. The day before the fire, Hsieh was making plans to enter a rehab center in Hawaii, The Wall Street Journal previously published.
Hsieh requested an additional five minutes, according to the report.
About five minutes later, Gorman and Hsieh’s brother came back and heard a hissing sound coming from the shed. Hsieh did not respond to them and the two were unable to open the door, which led them to ask for help.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, the National Institute of Mental Health has several resources.