Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was forced to helplessly watch on as his $6.6 million Florida home was engulfed by flames in the early hours of Nov. 6—just minutes after he landed back in the Sunshine State from his team’s away game against the Denver Nuggets.
Video footage obtained by Florida news outlet Local 10 shows Spoelstra walking around the property as firefighters desperately tried to put out the two-alarm blaze, which is understood to have been reported at around 4:30 a.m. local time.
At one point he was seen holding his head in his hands in an apparent state of disbelief at the scene unfolding before him.
Officials told the Associated Press that more than 20 units—both ground and air—responded to the fire, which was contained to Spoelstra’s property and did not impact any other homes.
When emergency services arrived on the scene, they found two structures ablaze, with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Victoria Byrd revealing that the fire was “as tall as the trees.” Officials confirmed that there was a “partial collapse” as a result of the blaze.
“We found fire that was as tall as the trees. Our units came in and did an excellent job… due to the privacy wall and a lot of the tree cover, it was very difficult to access, with only one point of entry,” she said.
“The men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were able to extinguish this fire and do the best job they could.”
Spoelstra purchased the property in December 2023, just one month after his divorce from his former wife, former Miami Heat dancer Nikki Sapp, with whom he shares three children.
Neighbors told Local 10 that the property has been undergoing extensive renovations for the past year, however that work is understood to have been completed, with a neighbor telling the outlet that Spoelstra hosted a large party in his backyard recently.
No injuries have been reported—and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
The blaze was reported around 40 minutes before Spoelstra landed back in Florida with his team following their 122-112 loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday night.
AP reports that the team’s charter flight, which Spoelstra is understood to have traveled on, landed at 5:11 a.m. local time. He is said to have immediately returned home, where he was met by the devastating fire tearing through his home.
It is unclear whether anyone was in the home when the blaze first broke out. An investigation into the origins of the fire is already underway, however it could be several weeks before the results are revealed.
Fox Sports reports that “most of the fire was under control” by 8 a.m. and a briefing has been scheduled for later in the day to provide more information about the blaze.
Firefighters were focusing on efforts to ensure that the fire was not rekindled, with the most recent update shared by authorities stating: “Due to a partial collapse, units switched to a defensive attack, and are still working to extinguish the fire.”
Spoelstra’s property sits on a one-acre parcel, according to records, and features six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms—with a detached pool cabana, which is believed to be the second structure that was engulfed by the flames, housing an additional bathroom.
The main residence offers more than 5,700 square feet of living space and was described in its original listing as being a “magnificent and spacious residence.”
“[It] offers warmth, style, elegance, and comfort with a great floor plan and beautiful vaulted mahogany ceilings throughout,” the description continued.
Among the many luxurious amenities found in and around the home were a large swimming pool, a spacious cabana, and a tennis court.
Each of the five bedrooms boasted an en-suite bathroom—with an additional powder room also found in the main dwelling.
It is not known whether Spoelstra had fully moved into the dwelling when the fire broke out, however he has spent the past week on the road with his team, who have had four consecutive away games, beginning on Oct. 30, when they faed off against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Spoelstra, who is originally from Illinois, has been with the Heat since 1995, when he was given a job as the team’s video coordinator, before slowly working his way up through the ranks, first serving as an assistant coach, before being given the top job in 2008.
In January 2024, he signed an eight-year extension with the team, which is estimated to be worth more than $120 million.
During his time as head coach, Spoelstra has led the Heat to six NBA finals, two of which they have won, in 2012 and 2013.