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‘We are lucky he’s still with us': Collapse traps Ohio firefighter

A Cleveland firefighter was injured in a porch collapse during a house fire

By Olivia Mitchell
cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Six people, including two firefighters and 11-month-old twins, were injured Monday in a house fire on Cleveland’s West Side, according to fire officials.

The blaze started about 9:30 a.m. at a home located in the 3600 block of West 102nd Street. Officials determined the cause of the fire was electrical and accidental, according to Lt. Mike Norman, spokesman for the Cleveland Division of Fire.

A 32-year-old woman who lives in the home with her 11-month-old twins was able to escape with one of the babies. A 50-year-old man was hurt after he entered the home twice to save the other baby from the fire.

Cleveland fire officials didn’t provide details about the extent of the injuries to the twins, the mother or the man who helped rescue one of the babies.

During the fire, the home’s porch collapsed, trapping and injuring a firefighter. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center.

“We are lucky he’s still with us,” Norman said. “It was bad.”

A second firefighter was also transported to the hospital with a shoulder injury, Norman added.

Fire officials did not immediately give an estimate for damages.

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