A fire destroyed Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s home early Thursday morning while he was traveling with the team. More than 20 fire units responded to the blaze that began around 4:30 a.m., but the property could not be saved, officials said.
Spoelstra was not home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported. Fire officials confirmed “the home was unoccupied” when the blaze broke out.
Spoelstra and the Heat played in Denver on Wednesday night. Their charter flight did not land in Miami until 5:11 a.m., according to flight records.
Spoelstra arrived at the home shortly after landing, with multiple fire crews still battling the blaze. He was seen walking around the property’s exterior, at times holding his head in apparent disbelief as flames continued.
Drone footage captured by CBS affiliate WFOR showed much of the home reduced to charred rubble. Smoke continued rising from the property more than three hours after firefighters arrived, though officials declared the fire contained around that time.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Victoria Byrd said flames reached “as tall as the trees” during the blaze. Crews fought the fire from both ground and air positions, Byrd said during a brief news briefing.
“Our units came in and did an excellent job,” Byrd said.
The fire remained contained to Spoelstra’s property, with no damage to nearby homes. A privacy fence and tree cover initially impeded firefighting efforts, Byrd noted.
Officials said an investigation into the fire’s cause was beginning. Such probes can take weeks to complete in some cases.
Property records show Spoelstra purchased the five-bedroom home in December 2023. He had completed extensive renovations following the purchase.
Spoelstra is in his 18th season as Heat head coach after joining the organization as a video coordinator in 1995. He finalized a deal last month to coach the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Heat were scheduled to be off Thursday and will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s rental home was destroyed last January in the Pacific Palisades fire.