Tyreek Hill house fire caused by child playing with a lighter. Here's what we know

A fire broke out Wednesday at a house owned by Miami Dolphins star player Tyreek Hill.

The NFL's leading receiver left practice in Miami Gardens to check on his wife, Keeta Vaccaro, and family at their home in Southwest Ranches about a half-hour north in Broward County.

All people and pets escaped the blaze safely. On Thursday, the Davie Fire Department said the fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter in a bedroom.

Footage from local news media showed black smoke billowing out of the house as crews from Davie Fire Rescue and the Broward County Sheriff's Office battled the blaze. The home was heavily damaged, Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor said.

Here's what we know about Hill, his house and the fire.

Who is Tyreek Hill?

One of the integral pieces of the Miami Dolphins' explosive offense, Tyreek Hill is the NFL's leading receiver in the 2023-24 season. He has a league-best 1,717 yards with 112 catches (tied for second) and 12 touchdowns (second) through Week 17.

Known as one of the fastest players in the league, Hill burst onto the scene with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2016 to 2021, making back-to-back Super Bowls and winning it all in the 2020 game played at the Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium.

He was traded to Miami before the 2022 season, combining with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle to form one of the fastest offenses in the league. He has made the Pro Bowl in all eight seasons and became the fastest player to reach 10,000 receiving yards in league history.

Hill is also known for several off-field incidents, including allegations of child and domestic abuse and hitting an employee at a North Miami marina. He was arrested in 2014 on assault and battery charges against a woman who was pregnant with his child.

What happened to Tyreek Hill's house?

Shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday, January 3, a fire broke out at Tyreek Hill's mansion in Southwest Ranches. Davie Fire Rescue officials arrived at the scene with Broward County Sheriff's officials arriving later. The blaze was at one point upgraded to a two-alarm fire.

Hill left Dolphins practice in Miami Gardens to check on his family. Video shot from a helicopter by WSVN-Channel 7, the Miami Fox affiliate, showed Hill comforting family members outside the home as firefighters fought to contain the blaze.

Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor said everyone inside had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.

WSVN reported fire crews knocked down a portion of the roof to battle the blaze. Taylor said the damage was extensive enough that “it probably is going to need some work” before it’s safe to inhabit, but the fire department released the house back to Hill on Wednesday afternoon.

“He and his family are handling it with as much poise as you could hope,” said Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus. “He was very grateful to the firefighters and everyone that did indeed save his home.”

Hill was seen Wednesday driving out of the complex in a truck. Spotting a reporter, he lowered his window, smiled and said: “Go home, man. Everybody’s good, dawg.”

What caused the fire at Tyreek Hill's house?

Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor said Thursday that the fire started from children playing with a lighter in a bedroom.

“There was significant damage to the roof in the area where the fire originated,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the damage was limited to the attic and roof, but there was smoke damage throughout the house.

Is Tyreek Hill injured from the fire?

Tyreek Hill was at Dolphins practice in Miami Gardens when the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon at his home in Southern Ranches, about a half-hour's drive northwest.

Hill was seen arriving to the house in a walking boot on his left foot. He is nursing an ankle injury he has been dealing with since a game December 11 vs. the Tennessee Titans. The injury kept him out of the Dolphins' next game against the New York Jets, but he has played in every game since.

How much is Tyreek Hill's house worth?

Tyreek Hill bought his mansion in Southwest Ranches in 2022 for a reported $6.9 million.

NBC 6 South Florida said "the 9,300-square-foot home features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a home theater, a full-size basketball court, a massive pool and two guest houses."

Hill showed it off on his YouTube channel after buying it in June 2022, shortly after signing a four-year, $120 million contract with the Dolphins.

Where is Tyreek Hill's house located?

Tyreek Hill's home is in the 16000 block of Berkshire Court in a gated community in Southwest Ranches. The Broward County community is about 23 miles west of Fort Lauderdale and a half-hour's drive from Hard Rock Stadium.

Did Tyreek Hill buy a house in Miami?

It's not quite Miami, but Hill did buy a mansion worth about $7 million in Southwest Ranches in Broward County. The home is roughly 16 miles northwest of the Miami Dolphins' facilities in Miami Gardens and about 30 miles north up I-75 from Miami proper.

Does Tyreek Hill have a wife?

Tyreek Hill married Keeta Vaccaro, on November 8, 2023, during the Dolphins' off week. The two had been engaged since 2021.

Vaccaro is an influencer who was born in Brownwood, Texas. Her health and beauty app, OWN Flow, provides personalized exercise plans, nutrition plans and routines. Vaccaro also founded the accessory and clothing line 1996: The Label.

She is the sister of Kenny Vaccaro, who played eight seasons in the NFL from 2013-2020, most notably with the New Orleans Saints.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tyreek Hill Southwest Ranches house fire: What we know