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Former NFL safety Earl Thomas lost his house to a catastrophic fire on Thursday afternoon. The fire department was called to the house in his hometown of Orange, Texas. The house was engulfed in heavy smoke and flames when they arrived. The fire was so intense that they needed to fight it from a distance to control it before eventually moving in and containing it.
Thankfully, neither Earl Thomas nor his family was injured in the fire. It was reported that he was at home at the time but was uninjured.
Initial reports by the Little Cypress Fire Department were that a lightning strike started the fire. Orange was experiencing thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon, and it is possible that one struck the home, causing the fire.
The fire department will be investigating to find out exactly how the fire began, but at this time, they don't believe it to be arson.
How long did Earl Thomas play in the NFL?
Earl Thomas played college football at the University of Texas at Austin from 2007 to 2009. The Seattle Seahawks drafted him with the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played with the Seahawks throughout the 2018 NFL season, winning a Super Bowl.
In March 2019, he signed a four-year deal worth $55 million with the Baltimore Ravens. His time with the Ravens didn't last long, as the team released him before the start of the 2020 NFL season.
In his ten seasons in the National Football League, he had 497 solo tackles, 713 combined tackles, 11 forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries. He was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team for his part in the Seahawks' legendary "Legion of Boom" secondary that led them to success for most of the 2010s.
Earl Thomas is currently a free agent in the National Football League. In the spring, it was reported that the seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion wanted to return to the game, but he remains unsigned.
He has dealt with legal issues over the last few years, stemming from domestic violence and violation of court-mandated child custody issues regarding his ex-wife and three children.
