One Firefighter Injured While Battling Blaze in Corry

A house was damaged by fire Sunday afternoon on West Church Street in Corry, with crews responding just after 2 p.m., after a neighbor reported heavy smoke coming from the roof area of the residence.

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In an interview with UC Today, Corry Fire Chief Ryan Card said firefighters arrived to find an active structure fire with flames burning between the first and second floors of the home at 520 West Church Street.

“A neighbor saw smoke visible from the roof area and called it in as a structure fire,” Chief Card said. “When crews got on scene, they had a working fire between the first and second floors. They made a quick knockdown and did a very good job.”

Chief Card said the fire was brought under control within approximately 35 to 40 minutes, with crews remaining on scene to mop up hot spots. Card noted no one was inside the home at the time of the fire and that the homeowner was out of town when the fire broke out.

One firefighter was injured during the response. Chief Card explained the injury occurred due to structural conditions inside the home.

“There was one firefighter injury when he fell through a hole in the floor that he couldn’t see because of the smoke,” Card said. “He twisted and seriously injured his right knee. There were no burns and nothing life-threatening. He was transported to the hospital and is now home and off duty.”

Additional details on the injured firefighter were shared Monday morning by incoming Corry City Councilman and Director of Public Safety Andrew Sproveri during the city’s reorganization meeting.

“It was Nate Greer that was injured in the fire,” Sproveri said. “It wasn’t fire-related — he fell through a floor in a substandard structure and injured his knee pretty severely. It’s going to take some time for him to recover.”

Sproveri emphasized that while the injury was serious, it was not life-threatening.

“Thankfully, there were no burns involved and no major injuries or disabilities,” he said. “It’s not a phone call that any family ever wants to get, and we ask for prayers and thoughts for him, his family, and the entire fire department.”

Chief Card said cause of the fire remains under investigation. Utility companies were notified during the incident, and fire crews were back in service around 6p.m.

The Corry Fire Department was assisted by additional manpower and mutual aid from Union City, Wrightsville, Elgin-Beaverdam, Spring Creek and Clymer fire departments.