Injured East Cleveland firefighter recovering at home

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -A local firefighter is out of the hospital after falling while on the job. East Cleveland firefighters were battling a house fire Wednesday, April 26, on Forest Hill Avenue near Superior. Several fire departments responded, including South Euclid and Cleveland Heights.

Flames and heavy smoke were seen when firefighters arrived. Fire could be seen coming from the second and the third floors. Twenty-three-old Eric Proch and his crew made their way to the third floor. They were able to knock out the fire quickly.

“I went in to start pulling some ceiling that’s when we heard a creak, and me, my Lt and one other guy on our crew went down,” Proch said. “It happen so fast, you knew it was nothing you could do.”

Proch and two other firemen fell from the third floor to the second floor. One firefighter was able to get out, Proch and another fireman were trapped.

“This leg was completely covered. I looked and my partner was on the leg too so it was pinned down under him and a bunch of debri. My right leg went through the second floor.”

East Cleveland firemen and other local fire departments who responded worked to get them out.

“Thanks to the mutual aid that came, we had plenty of man power to get the junk of the room and get us out.”

Proch and his partner were pulled from the rubble within five minutes.

“We take pride in our department about how hard we train for every situation so when something like this does happen, it’s all instinct.

He was sent to the hospital for a leg injury. He wears a brace on his left leg.

“It still hurts, it doesn’t feel super stable right now,” Proch said. “It’s mostly just slow moving. I can’t walk too fast no more.”

Proch is currently at home healing. He is anxious to get back to work to save lives. He is thankful the worst did not happen. He tells 19 News he wouldn’t change anything about that day.

“Dangers like this are the reality of the job, they don’t happen to often thankfully. I wouldn’t change anything. I still love the job. It’s the best job I ever had.”

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