American play-by-play sports commentator Mike Breen for NBA on ABC and is the lead announcer for New York Knicks games on the MSG Network house was destroyed in a fire Sunday.
TMZ Sports confirmed that the house was Breen's and reported that nobody was harmed in the incident, which is under investigation.
On Sunday, September 25, 2022, at approximately 4:03 a.m., M-LFD Companies 1 and 2 were dispatched to 9 Cherrywood Lane in North Hills for an automatic fire alarm. Deputy Chief Porras (8703) was the first to respond, and was advised by M-LFD Dispatch that a neighbor had just called 911 reporting the house next door was on fire. With this information, the alarm was upgraded to a general alarm with all 6 M-LFD Companies notified to respond. DC8703 arrived on scene first and reported a fully involved private dwelling fire. DC Antonelli (8704) arrived minutes later and assumed the role of incident command, according to the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department.
Units from all 5 M-LFD fire companies operated to extinguish the fire while the M-LFD Ambulance Unit provided an EMS standby at the scene.
Numerous handlines, the deck gun from E8711, and the master streams from L8743 and Q8728 were used to extinguish the fire.
“Ultimately, heavy machinery was called in to access parts of the home which were inaccessible by crews due to structural collapse,” Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department told.
Several other area fire departments including the Port Washington Fire Department, Roslyn Rescue Fire Department, Roslyn Highlands Fire Department, Plandome Fire Department and Great Neck Alert Fire Company responded to the scene while others including the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company stood by to cover M-LFD stations.
The Nassau County Fire Marshal's office responded with their drone team to assist in locating hot spots and to provide an aerial size up of the scene.
After several hours of operating, all units were released from the scene at 2:07 p.m.
ESPN also released a statement expressing its support for Mike Breen.
“Mike is a cherished member of the ESPN family and he knows he has our full support through this excruciating circumstance," the company said, according to New York Post's Ryan Glasspiegel. "We know the damage is devastating, and at the same time, we are grateful that he and his family are safe.”
Mike Breen joined ESPN's NBA announcing team in 2003 and has been with the New York Knicks since 1992. He received the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award.
Sources: USA Today, TMZ Sports, Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department