ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) Hall of Fame football coach and former ESPN college football analyst Lou Holtz’ home caught fire early Sunday morning in Orlando.
The Orlando Fire Department received an automatic fire alarm at 2:42 a.m. Sunday. About 50 firefighters and command staff reported to the home, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries and had to be treated on the scene.Firefighters said the fire was considered a two-alarm fire because of the extent of the fire and the size of the home.
Holtz canceled an appearance at a Hall of Fame dinner in Ohio on Monday and sent a statement to organizers. “Sometimes things happen, and you have no control over them. This was the case when our home was struck by lightning and completely devastated this past weekend,” he said.
According to Holtz, the fire went through the first-floor ceiling and caused the roof to cave in.The official cause has not been confirmed. The home is located in the gated Lake Nona Country Club community and is assessed at $1.5 million. There is no estimate on the cost of the damage.
Holtz served as head coach for several college football programs, including North Carolina State (1972-1975), Notre Dame (1986-1996) and South Carolina (1999-2004). He led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and had a short head coaching stint in the NFL with the New York Jets.
