CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Fire destroyed a home owned by Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra early Thursday morning, with officials saying more than 20 pieces of equipment were sent in in what turned into a frantic and futile attempt to save the property.
There was no one in the house at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries. Spoelstra plans to coach Miami's next game, a home game against Miami. Charlotte Hornets on Friday evening, the team said.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, officials said. In some cases, these studies can take weeks.
Spoelstra was flying home with the Heat after Wednesday night's game in Denver when the fire started. The fire was called out around 4:36 a.m. and the Heat charter landed in Miami about 35 minutes later, according to county reports.
Several fire engines and other vehicles were on the scene when Spoelstra arrived on scene. Television cameras captured Spoelstra walking around the perimeter of the building in the predawn hours, sometimes stopping and holding his head in apparent disbelief as flames continued to shoot into the dark air.
Drone footage taken after the fire was extinguished showed much of the house reduced to charred ruins.
Smoke was still rising from parts of the building more than three hours after the first fire engines arrived, but officials said the fire was brought under control around 8 a.m. Some crews remained on the scene monitoring hot spots until Thursday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Victoria Byrd said the fire, a “tree-high” blaze, was being extinguished by crews both on the ground and in the air. The fire was contained to Spoelstra's property and no nearby homes were damaged, Byrd said, adding that a private fence and tree cover hampered initial fire suppression efforts.
“Our units showed up and did a great job,” Byrd said.
Property records show Spoelstra bought the five-bedroom home in December 2023. After the purchase he carried out extensive work on the site.
Spoelstra, who has been a part of all three of Miami's NBA championships, including two as head coach, is in his 18th season as coach of the Heat, an organization he originally joined as a video coordinator in 1995. Last month, he finalized a deal to coach the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Heat were shut down Thursday. On Friday, Spoelstra will hold his usual pregame press session.
