**Fire Destroys Home of Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra in Coral Gables**
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A devastating fire destroyed the home of Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra early Thursday morning. More than 20 fire units were dispatched in a frantic attempt to save the property, but their efforts ultimately proved futile. Fortunately, no one was in the home when the fire broke out, and no injuries have been reported.
Spoelstra was on an airplane, returning to Miami with the Heat after their Wednesday night game in Denver, when the fire began. According to county records, the fire was called in at approximately 4:36 a.m., with the Heat’s charter flight landing in Miami about 35 minutes later. By the time Spoelstra arrived at his property, the scene was already engulfed with flames, with multiple fire trucks and emergency vehicles present.
Television footage captured Spoelstra walking around the perimeter of his home in the pre-dawn hours, often pausing and holding his head in apparent disbelief as flames shot into the night sky. Drone images taken after the fire was extinguished revealed that much of the residence had been reduced to charred rubble. Smoke continued to rise from the property more than three hours after firefighters first arrived. The blaze was declared contained around 8 a.m., although crews remained on the scene monitoring hotspots until early Thursday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Victoria Byrd described the scene, noting that flames were “as tall as the trees.” Crews fought the fire both on the ground and from above. The fire was successfully contained to the Spoelstra property, and no nearby homes were damaged. According to Byrd, a privacy fence and dense tree cover impeded initial firefighting efforts. “Our units came in and did an excellent job,” she said.
Property records show that Spoelstra purchased the five-bedroom home in December 2023 and had done extensive renovations since acquiring it.
The Miami Heat organization issued a statement on Thursday:
“We are grateful to learn that nobody was harmed in the fire at Coach Spoelstra’s residence this morning. Our thoughts, prayers and assistance are with Spo and his family during this time.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, though officials note such probes can sometimes take weeks.
Despite the tragedy, Spoelstra intends to coach Miami’s next game—a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, according to the team. The Heat had the day off Thursday, and Spoelstra is scheduled to hold his customary pregame media session on Friday.
Erik Spoelstra has been part of all three of Miami’s NBA championship runs—two as head coach—and is currently in his 18th season leading the Heat. He originally joined the organization as a video coordinator in 1995 and recently finalized a deal to serve as head coach for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
https://abc7.com/post/fire-destroys-miami-heat-coach-erik-spoelstras-home-nobody-was-hurt/18122758/