Report: Henderson girl died in fire she started

Investigators say a Henderson girl started the house fire that killed her in August but her reason is unclear.

While her name was blanked out of the State Fire Marshal report released Friday, authorities identified her earlier as 17-year-old Amee Lee Thiel. She died of smoke inhalation in the fire at her father's home Aug. 29.

The report says all indications point to her intentionally starting the fire. It says there were multiple points of origin on the main level and in the basement, where she was found.

Deputy State Fire Marshall Casey Stotts writes it's not clear if she was trying to get attention by lighting the fires and became trapped, or if she was trying to commit suicide.

Thiel was the daughter of Larry Thiel, whose phone number was busy on several attempts to reach him Friday, and Marie Drake, of Mankato, who does not have a listed number.

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