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Coral Gables, FL - A major residential fire severely damaged the Miami-Dade home of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra early Thursday.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, crews responded shortly after 4:30 a.m. when reports came in of a structure fire at the property.
No one was inside the home when the flames broke out, and no injuries were reported among first responders or civilians.
More than 20 fire units were deployed as the blaze grew rapidly, officials said.
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Fire investigators have begun examining the scene to determine the cause, a process that may take several weeks.
Spoelstra was not home during the incident and was traveling back to Miami with the team after their game in Denver on Wednesday night.
The Heat’s charter flight landed roughly 35 minutes after the fire call was logged.
When Spoelstra arrived at the property, firefighters were still working to contain flames that had already engulfed much of the structure.
Television footage showed him walking along the perimeter while smoke and flames remained visible in the pre-dawn hours.
Drone images taken after the fire was extinguished indicated that large sections of the residence had been reduced to debris.
Officials said the fire was contained to Spoelstra’s property and did not spread to nearby homes.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Victoria Byrd reported that heavy tree coverage and fencing around the property slowed initial access for crews, but the blaze was declared contained around 8 a.m.
Some units remained on site into the afternoon to monitor remaining hotspots.