Fire at home of Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill started by child playing with cigarette lighter

by · The Seattle Times

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A fire at the $6.9 million home owned by Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter in a bedroom, a fire official said Thursday.

“It was an accidental fire,” Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor told The Associated Press. He did not provide the age of the child, or the amount of damage caused by the fire. Taylor said the investigation is now closed.

Hill was at the Dolphins’ practice for the upcoming regular season finale against the Buffalo Bills when the fire broke out. He left practice when he got word about the fire.

The house is located in Southwest Ranches, which is about 30 miles northwest of Miami.

Miami television station WSVN showed a large amount of black smoke coming from the home’s roof as firefighters doused it with water.

Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told reporters on Wednesday that some family members were home at the time of the fire.

“He and his family are safe,” Rosenhaus said. “No one was injured No. 1, no pets, so for that, we’re very grateful. We’re very grateful to the firefighters that put the fire out. Thankfully, the fire was contained to a limited area in the home. Obviously, there’ll be some smoke and water damage. It’s very difficult for anybody obviously to have your home catch on fire, but Tyreek was handling it, he and his family, with as much poise as you could hope.”