Heat coach Erik Spoelstra goes from Denver to a home on fire
A Florida home owned by Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The Miami-Dade Fire Department received a call around 4:30 a.m. about a fire at a residence in Coral Gables. More than 20 units were dispatched and “found fire as high as the trees,” according to MDFR Battalion Chief Victoria Byrd.
“Upon arrival, units found a house fully on fire, with a partial roof collapse,” Byrd said in a video released by the fire department. “Units were able to quickly extinguish the fire; however, the fire took control [of] most of the house. No injuries or deaths have been reported and the fire remains under investigation.
Byrd told reporters at the scene that no other structures in the area were affected by the fire.
According to firefighters, no one was home at the time of the fire. Spoelstra coached the Heat in Denver on Wednesday night. The team’s charter flight to Miami landed at 5:11 a.m. Thursday, and Spoelstra arrived home shortly after.
Video footage shows Spoelstra walking outside the property, at times holding his head in his hands in disbelief, as firefighters worked to contain the flames. Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn also reportedly arrived on scene at some point.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra heads to the locker room after a 122-112 loss to the Nuggets Wednesday night in Denver.
(David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
Spoelstra purchased the five-bedroom home in December 2023, according to property records, and subsequently carried out extensive work on the property. WPLG-TV in Miami reported that a neighbor said the house had been under renovation for more than a year and that Spoelstra recently had a large party in the backyard.
“We used multiple aerial apparatus, fire trucks and rescue services to help combat this incident,” Byrd said. “Due to the privacy wall and the large amount of tree cover, it was very difficult to access, with only one entry point. The men and women of the Miami-Dade Fire Department were able to put out this fire and do the best job possible.”
Spoelstra, 55, has coached the Heat since 2008, taking the team to the NBA Finals five times and winning championships in 2012 and 2013, both times with the superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Spoelstra signed an eight-year, $120 million contract extension with the Heat last year and was recently named coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
