CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — A significant fire destroyed the home of Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra early Thursday morning. First responders reported that more than 20 units were dispatched to tackle the blaze in a chaotic but ultimately unsuccessful effort to save the property.

Fortunately, nobody was inside the residence at the time of the fire, and there were no reported injuries. Despite the destruction, Spoelstra intends to coach the Miami Heat in their next game, a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, as confirmed by the team.

In an official statement, the Heat expressed their relief, saying, "We are grateful to learn that nobody was harmed in the fire at coach Spoelstra’s residence this morning. Our thoughts, prayers, and assistance are with Spo and his family during this time."

Authorities have launched an investigation into the fire's cause, although such inquiries can sometimes take weeks. At the time of the incident, Spoelstra was on an airplane returning home with the Heat from a game played in Denver on Wednesday night. The fire was reported around 4:36 a.m., according to county records, as the team’s charter flight landed in Miami approximately 35 minutes later.

When Spoelstra arrived, he found multiple fire trucks and emergency vehicles at the scene, where the home was fully engulfed in flames. Television footage captured eerie moments of Spoelstra walking around the property’s perimeter in the pre-dawn hours, appearing in disbelief as flames shot into the night sky.

Drone footage taken after the fire was extinguished revealed devastating damage, with much of the home reduced to charred debris. Smoke continued to rise from the site more than three hours after the first responders arrived, but officials reported that the fire was contained by around 8 a.m. Fire crews remained on-site until early Thursday afternoon to monitor any lingering hotspots.

Victoria Byrd, a battalion chief with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, commented that the fire featured flames "as tall as the trees" and was fought by crews both on the ground and from the air. She noted that the flames were contained to Spoelstra's property, with no damage occurring to nearby homes. Byrd mentioned that efforts were initially hampered by a privacy fence and trees around the house.

Property records indicate that Spoelstra purchased the five-bedroom home in December 2023 and had undertaken extensive renovations to the property since then. Spoelstra, now in his 18th season as head coach of the Miami Heat, has been instrumental in the organization’s three NBA championship victories and had recently finalized a deal to serve as coach of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The Miami Heat had an off day on Thursday. Spoelstra is scheduled to hold a pregame media session on Friday, as is customary before games.