Dateline NBC “Fire & Ice” January 17 2026 Recap & Preview

This Saturday, Dateline NBC brings viewers a chilling story of betrayal and deception with Fire & Ice, airing January 17, 2026, at 9/8c. Reported by Andrea Canning, this Weekend Mystery follows the investigation into a deadly house fire in a quiet Toronto suburb that quickly revealed far more than a tragic accident.

When firefighters responded to the blaze, they made a grim discovery—39-year-old Carmela Knight was dead before the fire ever started. As her devastated family searched for answers, Toronto police launched a complex and risky undercover operation that would eventually expose a disturbing murder-for-hire plot.

The investigation led to a shocking conclusion: Carmela’s husband, David Knight, had secretly taken out a life insurance policy on her and orchestrated the plan to have her killed. The motive, police said, was money. But to make it look like a random act of violence, the plotters attempted to cover it up with arson.

Using an elaborate “Mr. Big” sting operation—commonly used in Canadian law enforcement—undercover officers gained Knight’s trust over time, eventually getting him to confess. The operation and its result stunned the community and highlighted the chilling lengths some will go for financial gain.

Fire & Ice features interviews with Carmela’s loved ones, the investigators who cracked the case, and never-before-seen footage from the covert operation that brought her killer to justice. Tune in Saturday night on NBC or stream the episode later on Peacock.