A Cicero firefighter was hospitalized with a serious case of smoke inhalation late Saturday afternoon after battling a house fire, according to town officials.
Ted Polashek, 44, a veteran firefighter, was working on ventilating a roof in the 2100 block of 61st Court when he was "overcome by smoke and super-heated gases," according to town spokesman Ray Hanania.
Polashek was initially taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, but later transported to Advocate Lutheran General Medical Center in Park Ridge where he was intubated Saturday night.
In a news release, Cicero Fire Chief Dominick Buscemi said Polashek has been a firefighter for more than 20 years.
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“There is always a risk, but that risk that we face never stops our firefighters from taking on the fires and saving lives,” the chief said. “He is a great firefighter, and we know he is strong.”
The fire was quickly extinguished, and no one living inside the home was injured, the town spokesman added.
