Devastated Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra speaks out for first time since his home burnt to the ground in huge blaze

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has broken his silence after a devastating fire burned down his family home.

In terrifying scenes on Thursday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue chiefs said they were called to a blaze around 4:30am. They said the 'fire that was as tall as the trees.'

In a heartbreaking clip that later emerged from the incident, a distraught Spoelstra was seen pacing around the outside of the property with his hand on his head.

Most of the $6.6million house was completely gutted as flames ripped through multiple rooms, with pictures on Friday showing the devastating damage done.

Speaking for the first time since the incident, Spoelstra downplayed the importance of the possessions he lost but admitted 'in a perfect world, I'd like to go home'.  

Prior to the Heat's win over the Hornets on Friday, he said: 'Things in the house, those things can be replaced. And if they can't be replaced, what does it really matter?'.

Spoelstra, who was joined at the press conference by his three children, continued: 'This is really what matters. Family, the closest ones, our dog also was safe, thank God. We're just grateful. We're grateful that everybody is safe and in a great place.' 

'In a perfect world, I'd like to go home,' he said. 

On Thursday, Local news networks captured flames rising above the outside walls of the property while thick smoke poured into the sky.

Reinforcements had to be brought in to try and tackle the fire, which had reportedly engulfed 'two structures' on the property with flames piercing the roof of the house.

'I want to give a shoutout to the first responders, the police officers and the firemen. They were amazing,' Spoelstra said. 

'They weren't able to save our house, but, obviously, we've seen things that could have spread to the rest of the neighborhood. 

'They were very kind while they were trying to put out all the flames.' 

Photos which emerged on Friday showed the devastating damage which the fire had done, with the $6.6million home being left as little more than a pile of rubble. 

A 'partial collapse' forced crews to 'switch to a defensive attack,' which sees them tackle the fire from the outside. This is typically used when it is too dangerous to go inside or if the structure is potentially lost.

A neighbor told Local 10 News that Spoelstra had been renovating the house for at least a year. The work was believed to have been finished, however, and the NBA coach reportedly held a recent party in his backyard.

'Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded with over 20 units - including a hazardous materials response - to combat this fire,' battalion chief Victoria Byrd said.

'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.

'The men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were able to extinguish this fire and do the best job they could.' 

Despite the tragic incident, Spoelstra was back on the sidelines just a day later and helped oversee the Heat's 126-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

And, as much as he'd like to go resolve his burned-down house issue, Spoelstra will be back at the Kaseya Center on Friday for their game against the Trail Blazers.