A vacant house in East Cleveland was gutted and engulfed in flames late Friday afternoon.
The 2 1/2 story building on the 900 block of Eddy Road required firefighters from both East Cleveland and Cleveland proper to battle the blaze.
B-Shift working fire on Eddy road today! pic.twitter.com/IQtItDhLpP
— East Cleveland Fire (@ECFD500) September 10, 2016
Fire officials reported heavy fire and smoke was billowing from the attic, and firefighters found the third story staircase burned away. They then pulled out of the building, continuing to fight the blaze from outside. No injuries were reported at the scene.
RELATED: East Cleveland fire chief says firefighters, residents are not safe
Battling the fire were five ECFD firefighters and 26 members of the Cleveland Fire Department. The inequity in force highlights a long-standing gripe East Cleveland Fire Department has with its staffing and funding.
East Cleveland Fire Chief Rick Wilcox previously told Newsnet5 that he's struggling to keep his department and residents safe. During a recent call, three East Cleveland firefighters suffered concussions and neck injuries while battling a house fire.
Chief Wilcox said his department only has four to seven firefighters on duty on any given day. The low staffing levels violate the firefighters' contract and result in a daily fine of $1,250 for the breach.
