New details emerged Tuesday about the Connecticut fire that resulted in the death of Tony Hsieh, the former Zappos CEO, who died in November at …
New details emerged Tuesday about the Connecticut fire that resulted in the death of Tony Hsieh, the former Zappos CEO, who died in November at age 46. 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 news conference. 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.
