Child playing with lighter source of fire: official

The fire at Miami Dolphins’ star Tyreek Hill’s home in Southwest Ranches on Wednesday was caused by a child playing with a lighter, officials said Thursday.

The fire began in the bedroom, where the child was playing, according to Davie Fire Marshal Bob Taylor, and was ruled accidental. Family members were home at the time, but no one was injured.

A woman who was inside called 911 to report the growing fire was on the second floor of the home. A ringing alarm could be heard in the background.

“Can you help us? A fire is in the house!” she said.

“I don’t know what to do. I need help,” she said when the 911 operator asked her what happened. She asked if she should douse it with water, but the dispatcher told her to get everyone outside to safety.

She could be heard shouting in the background of the phone call, “There’s a fire! There’s a fire!”

Everyone had gotten outside safely, the caller told the operator.

“Is it big?” someone asked in the background.

“Yes, it’s getting bigger and bigger,” the woman said.

Neither Taylor nor a Dolphins spokesperson could say Thursday whether the child was Hill’s or related to Hill. Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not respond to a phone call Thursday afternoon.

Davie Fire Rescue, Broward Sheriff ’s Fire Rescue and Southwest Ranches crews responded to the fire about 2 p.m. Wednesday. The fire did not spread beyond the one room, Taylor said, but there will be other damage from smoke and water.

Four people were at home at the time and evacuated.

Hill, who was at practice at the time of the fire, left early after he was informed of the incident, a Dolphins spokesperson told reporters Wednesday afternoon. Hill was not at practice Thursday.

Footage from several TV news outlets showed plumes of smoke billowing from one side

of the mansion’s roof. After the smoke abated, the footage showed a large hole left behind, as well as Hill outside the home wearing a walking boot, talking with officials.

The fire was largely extinguished by 4 p.m., Taylor said.

Hill, 29, is in his second season with the Dolphins after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019, a championship run that was completed with the February 2020 Super Bowl victory in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium over the San Francisco 49ers.