- New details emerged Tuesday about the fire the caused the November death of ex-Zappos CEO
Tony Hsieh . - Officials could not 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."
New details emerged Tuesday about the
Officials have so far been unable to determine the exact cause of the fire that occurred in the early morning of November 18 at a property in New London, Connecticut, per a report made public Tuesday that outlined findings from New London Fire Marshal Vernon Skau.
No criminal charges stemming from the fire were filed, New London officials said Tuesday. Without the autopsy report, officials said the investigations by both the police and fire department were at a "standstill."
Hsieh's death elicited an outpouring of emotions and memorials from many Zappos employees, former colleagues, and other people close to the internet entrepreneur, who was considered a life inspiration to many. In his final months, Hsieh relocated from Las Vegas to Park City, Utah, where he snapped up millions of dollars of residential homes, became fascinated with fire, and inhaled nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, as Insider and others reported. The substance can cause an intense, but short-lived high when it's inhaled.
Through a representative, Hsieh's family declined to comment on the new details released Tuesday.
What caused the fire
In the report, Skau and investigators highlighted four possible explanations for the fire. The first was a portable propane heater that possibly "came into direct contact or into proximity of the heating elements with the nearby combustibles resulting in the fire." The propane heater was not intended for use inside, as it releases carbon monoxide, officials said at a
Another scenario, investigators determined, was that "carelessly discarded smoking material," either cigarettes or marijuana according to the report, was responsible for the fire, which occurred in a shed attached to the home. "Several" discarded cigarettes and a pipe used to smoke marijuana were found at the scene of the fire, the report said.
Investigators also found "several Whip-It brand nitrous oxide chargers," a whipping cream dispenser, and Fernet Branca liquor bottles, according to the report. Officials said they could not conclude whether Hsieh had consumed these substances prior to, or during the fire, as the autopsy report had not yet been released.
The office of the chief medical examiner in Connecticut previously said Hsieh's death was the result of complications from accidental smoke inhalation.
Insider previously reported individuals close to Hsieh said he had withdrawn from close family and friends in his final months.
Investigators also speculated a "misuse of candles" may have led to the fire. One person who spent time with Hsieh in Park City told Insider previously that Hsieh had become fascinated with candles, sometimes throwing them into open flames to watch them "explode." Officials said Tuesday that Hsieh's associates said he enjoyed 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 "carelessness or even an intentional act by Hsieh." Fire investigators found a Ziploc bag that contained burnt pieces of post-it notes "near the area of the fire origin," according to the report. Investigators also found a grey basket "remote from the area of the origin" that contained burnt pieces of paper.
"While neither of these examples is the cause of the fire, they are both indicative of a fire setting pattern that could have caused this fire. This carelessness could not be eliminated as a cause of the fire," the report said.
Hsieh died on November 27, about a week after the fire, and after he had been moved by helicopter to the Connecticut Burn Center at the Bridgeport Hospital, 60 miles west of New London.
During the fire, emergency responders breached the shed door to remove Hsieh, who was unresponsive to calls to open the doors. Before authorities arrived, Hsieh's colleagues and friends, who were staying with him at the Connecticut property, had attempted to rescue him from the locked shed but were unable to get inside.
Firefighters responded to multiple calls days before Hsieh died
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 their second visit to the home, firefighters entered the property and discovered burnt pieces of plastic, according to the report.
According to a timeline released Tuesday, investigators determined Hsieh had entered the shed just before midnight after he was asked to leave following an argument with Rachael Brown, his girlfriend and the former Zappos employee who owned the property.
Brett Gorman, an employee of Hsieh's, had discovered Hsieh had lit a fire inside the shed using a candle and brought him the propane heater from outside the shed to help him keep warm. Gorman then monitored Hsieh in 10-minute intervals, according to the report.
At around 3:14 a.m., security camera footage showed smoke coming from the shed when Hsieh opened the doors. At about 3:20 a.m., Hsieh's brother Andy informed Hsieh that a limousine had arrived to take them from the property for a planned trip to Maui. On the day before the fire, Hsieh was making plans to enter a rehabilitation center in Hawaii, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
Hsieh requested an additional five minutes, according to the report.
About five minutes later, Gorman and Hsieh's brother returned and heard a hissing sound coming from the shed. Hsieh was unresponsive to them and the two were unable to open the door, prompting them to call for help.
If you're experiencing a mental-health crisis, the National Institute of Mental Health has a number of resources.