Miami-Dade Crews Encountered Challenges at Miami Heat Coach's Mansion Fire

Dispatch recordings from firefighters who were first on the scene at Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra’s home early Thursday reveal a chaotic and fast-moving fire that left crews scrambling to find water and to contain the spreading flames.

The two-alarm blaze was first reported by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who happened to be driving in the area around 4:30 a.m., according to the calls. The fire at Spoelstra’s 5,700-square-foot residence on Southwest 80th Street burned for nearly eight hours before firefighters could fully extinguish it. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the sprawling property — complete with a pool, tennis court and dense tree coverage — was difficult to access.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Victoria Byrd said the blaze was challenging to reach because of heavy foliage and a privacy wall leaving firefighters with only one entry point.

Dispatch audio obtained by the Miami Herald from the early moments of the response underscores those challenges.

“I’ve got a heavy fire. I have limited units on scene. We have a water supply established. I’ve got Engine 14 attempting fire attack,” a commander said over the radio as crews struggled to establish water lines from a distant hydrant.

“Engine 23 drive, we need to get moving on that water, brother. We got no water,” a firefighter is heard saying to colleagues about 15 minutes into the emergency.

The firefighters who first arrived thought the blaze had started in a smaller structure behind Spoelstra’s main residence.

“You’ve got a very large house. The property that is on fire is in the rear,” the commander said.

But as they moved closer, they saw smoke billowing from the garage and eaves of the main home.

“Yeah, we’ve got smoke coming from the garage, pretty much everywhere,” one firefighter reported.

The commander assessed the situation and realized the whole property was on fire, and that it was rapidly growing.

“What we have is one large house and a second large structure in the rear of this property. Rear structure is absolutely fully involved. It has now incorporated the house into it,” the commander said.

The commander also said that resources — especially water supply — were a constant issue.

“I have limited units on scene. We have one hydrant established. I need my next incoming suppression engine that can pull up and catch a hydrant to probably catch it. It looks like we’re going to have to boost it,” the commander said, meaning hooking a supply hose to another pump truck to increase water pressure due to the distance of the hydrant.

Firefighters also reported seeing ruptured gas lines on the property, including one that was on fire.

Videos taken at the scene show Spoelstra standing near the fire, visibly distressed, as firefighters worked to contain the inferno engulfing the multimillion-dollar property. The home, located near Davis and Ponce de Leon roads, sits in one of Miami-Dade County’s most exclusive neighborhoods, where nearby estates often sell for tens of millions.

Despite the intensity of the flames, no injuries were reported. Firefighters remained on site until around 12:40 p.m. Thursday, securing the property with red tape after extinguishing the final hotspots.

Nearly 30 units were on the scene, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s call log.

As of Friday afternoon, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue had yet to release information on what caused the fire.

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