Massive fire destroys home owned by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A fire destroyed a home owned by Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra Thursday morning, and officials said more than 20 units were dispatched in what became a futile effort to save the property.
Spoelstra was not home when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported. Firefighters said “the house was unoccupied” when the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m.
An investigation into the causes of the fire has been launched, officials said. These investigations can take weeks in some cases.
Spoelstra and the Heat played in Denver Wednesday night and their charter flight back to Miami didn’t land until 5:11 a.m.
Spoelstra arrived at the home shortly after the plane landed, with several fire crews working to try to contain the fire. He was seen walking outside the property as the fire continued, stopping at times and holding his head in disbelief.
Drone footage captured by CBS Miami affiliate WFOR showed that, at a minimum, much of the house was reduced to charred rubble.
Smoke was still visible on parts of the property more than three hours after the first fire trucks arrived, but authorities declared the fire under control at that time.
Miami-Dade firefighters said the blaze — with flames “as tall as the trees,” Battalion Chief Victoria Byrd said during a brief news briefing — was fought by crews on the ground and in the air. The fire was contained to property owned by Spoelstra and no neighboring homes were damaged, Byrd said, adding that a private fence and tree cover hampered initial firefighting efforts.
“Our units came in and did a great job,” Byrd said.
Real estate records show Spoelstra purchased the five-bedroom home in December 2023. He had done extensive work on the property after the purchase.
Spoelstra is in his 18th season as head coach of the Heat, an organization he originally joined as a video coordinator in 1995. He finalized a deal last month to coach the United States men’s Olympic basketball team at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Heat were scheduled to be off on Thursday and will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
