UNIONTOWN, Pa. --
A Uniontown fire fighter said he is glad to be alive after being shocked by exposed wires while fighting a fire Monday morning.
B.J. Plavi said that he was one of the first responders to a fire at a boarded-up home along Butler Street at 2 a.m. Monday. He said he was walking into the basement of the burning home when he got the shock of his life.
"Due to low visibility -- no visibility -- I had to feel the wall. I must have grabbed onto a line that was hanging, or whatever it was, I'm not sure," Plavi said.
The wire instantly sent a strong electrical charge through his arm.
"All I saw was blue and my arm went completely went numb. I fell on the stairwell and one of my fellow firefighters helped me and assisted me out to safety," Plavi said.
The charge burned a hole in 12-year-veteran's glove, but it was not deadly.
"It was quite a shock to him. We got him out and transported him to the hospital. The shock really increased his heart rate and he stayed for a couple of hours [in the hospital] for observation," Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Coldren said.
Plavi said that his hand is still a bit numb, but that he is glad to be able to do the job he loves.
"It's the only think I ever wanted to do or know to do. I'm here to protect the city and the residents in Uniontown. I'm happy to do so and I will continue to do so: it's my life. I love doing it and it's going to take a lot more to get me down," Plavi said.
Firefighters said that the fire Plavi responded to is suspicious but they have not called it an arson case.
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