A devastating fire has destroyed the Miami home of celebrated Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, with emergency services battling a futile effort to save the property in the early hours of Thursday morning.
More than 20 units were dispatched to the blaze, which erupted around 4:30 a.m., but the extensive damage left much of the residence reduced to charred rubble.
Fortunately, Spoelstra was not at home when the inferno began, having been in Denver with his team for a game on Wednesday night.
His charter flight back to Miami landed at 5:11 a.m., and he arrived at the scene shortly after, witnessing fire crews attempting to contain the raging flames. He was observed walking around the perimeter of the property, at times holding his head in apparent disbelief as the destruction unfolded.
A source close to the situation confirmed that no one was inside the house when the fire broke out, and no injuries have been reported.
Fire officials described the flames as being "as tall as the trees", with crews fighting the conflagration both on the ground and from the air.
Drone footage captured by CBS affiliate WFOR in Miami starkly illustrated the extent of the devastation. Despite the intensity, the blaze was contained to Spoelstra's property, with no damage reported to neighbouring homes.
Initial firefighting efforts were reportedly hampered by a privacy fence and dense tree cover surrounding the residence.
An investigation into the cause of the fire has now commenced, though officials caution that such probes can often take several weeks to conclude.
Property records indicate that Spoelstra had only purchased the $6.6m five-bedroom home in December 2023 and had since undertaken significant renovation work, adding a further layer of personal loss to the incident.
Spoelstra, in his 18th season as head coach of the Miami Heat, has a long-standing history with the organization, having joined as a video coordinator in 1995.
Last month, he was also appointed to coach the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The Heat are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, following a day off on Thursday.
