A massive fire early Wednesday morning destroyed a Miami Gardens home near Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami Gardens police said a resident of the home at NW 185 Terrace and NW 20 Avenue woke to the sound of a loud explosion, discovered the fire and called 911 after failing to find his aunt and uncle.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed the couple were found dead inside.
Lavaris Roberts is grieving the death of her sister, 65-year-old Rhonda Spencer and her husband of 20 years, Timothy Foreham.
“She was churchgoing. She worked and she would go to church. She was the nicest person. Everyone loved her. There was no reason for what happened. We loved her so much and she supported all of us,” Roberts said.
Family members said Spencer was a supervisor at the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. Her sister Marcella said the loss is devastating.
“We just buried her son the other month and now with my sister gone, it is overwhelming,” she said. “She was one of my favorite sisters and her son was my favorite nephew and I always looked up to her. She was a strong, great sister.”
Explosion heard across the neighborhood
MDFR said they received a call about the fire just after 3:30 a.m. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. Firefighters immediately attacked the fire while trying to keep it from spreading to adjacent properties.
People who live in the neighborhood said they heard two explosions.
“I just heard a booming sound like it was a bomb that went off — real loud,” said neighbor Vanessa Wilcox. “It was a booming sound. Boom, like it was an explosion and the Earth kind of shook.”
Tamonjamin Williams, who survived the fire that killed his aunt and uncle, said, “I was laying in the bed and I was asleep and then I heard a loud explosion.”
He said a neighbor later told him he somehow ended up on the roof of the home.
“I didn’t even know how I got on the roof and jumped off the roof, that was God,” Williams said. “I called for both of them and I’m looking in the backyard and it’s dark.”
Residents in the area were evacuated due to an active gas line. However, according to a spokesperson with Florida City Gas, the home and neighboring houses did not have gas service. The utility company also confirmed there were no open gas leak reports in the neighborhood.
Family and community in mourning
Family members described Spencer and Foreham as kind-hearted, devoted people who were loved by all who knew them.
“She was a great person, she was a hard worker, she was a Christian woman, she was active in the church — everyone has great things to say about my sister,” said Jamie Spencer, Thonda’s sister. “I’m hurting so bad, we’re hurting so bad, it’s not right. It’s not. We want answers.”
Marvin Jones, Timothy Foreham’s brother, added: “He was always there for me…. begins to cry”
“I’m just destroyed, words can’t imagine what I feel right now,” Jones said.
“I can’t even describe it,” said Jamie Spencer. “My sister was so important to my family. She was one of the matriarchs of our family.”
Investigation ongoing
Roberts said the family is desperate for answers.
“We don’t know why this happened. They have footage but they haven’t given us anything. They are investigating this case,” she said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
