CLEVELAND — Six people — including two firefighters and baby twins — were taken to the hospital Monday morning after they were hurt in a house fire in Cleveland.
Cleveland fire posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the blaze started in the the 3600 block of West 102nd Street at around 9:30 a.m.
The fire was under control as of 10:26 a.m.
During the fire, the porch of the home collapsed, which trapped and injured a Cleveland firefighter's leg. In a post on X, Cleveland fire said that the firefighter was taken to MetroHealth in serious condition. 3News has since learned that the firefighter is in stable condition.
A second firefighter was also taken to the hospital with a shoulder injury. In addition, the mom and both babies were taken to the hospital.
Cleveland fire told 3News that the fire was electrical and unintentional.
WKYC later spoke with 62-year-old John Stickovich, an Army veteran who was on his way to work before rushing into the home to help save one of the infants. He went through the back door and crawled before finding the baby gate, all with smoke and flames around him.
"When I heard the cry, I just jumped forward and my arm went over the baby's leg," Stickovich recalled. "I grabbed the baby by the leg and we both went out the back door."
Both Stickovich and the 11-month-old made it out before the porch collapsed. He was treated for smoke inhalation and admits he's been "a little emotional" about the ordeal, but is happy for what he did.
"Thank you Lord for making me find this baby," he stated. "I just thought that, you know, 'This baby's not dying today.'"