The house of the head coach of the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstraburst into flames during the early hours of this Thursday, according to the Miami-Dade Fire Department.
According to the report, the fire was reported at 4:30 am at the residence, which is located on Southwest 80th Street. Officials noted that firefighters arrived on scene and found two structures on the property that were engulfed in flames.
A Local 10 News squad, which was at the scene, indicated that it was clear that the main house had been affected by the fire, as well as a side building that had a barbecue.
“The call was upgraded to a second alarm for additional staffing,” MDFR said in an email to Local 10 News. “Due to a partial collapse, the units switched to a defensive attack.”
A video taken at the scene shows Spoelstra distraught outside his home. Chris Quinnthe team’s assistant coach, was also seen at the scene.
The MDFR battalion chief, Victoria Byrd He spoke to reporters later and explained that more than 20 units responded to the fire.
Likewise, Byrd also revealed that firefighters found “flames as high as trees” and that they fought the fire with tankers and aerial equipment.
Complex task
“Due to the privacy wall and the large number of trees, it was very difficult to access the place, as there was only one entry point,” he said.
Byrd said the flames were extinguished before they could spread to neighboring homes.
A neighbor told Local 10 News that Spoelstra’s home had been under renovation for at least a year. Likewise, he added that he thought it was over, since the Heat coach had organized a big party in his backyard recently.
No injuries had been reported from the incident and the cause of the incident was still unclear.
Spoelstra has been the Heat’s coach for several years and recently signed a contract extension to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. In recent days, he was also named as the new United States coach heading into the next World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
