We are following through on a story that happened one year ago on the Fourth of July— a miraculous rescue from a house fire has led to an unexpected reward for all involved.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
A handful of days before the one-year anniversary of a fire at a home in Westlake, rain provided a final soaking before the wrecking ball demolished it.
What happened at this home was both horrific and heroic.
"It was an outstanding team effort," said Michael Freeman, assistant chief at Westlake Fire.
Freeman was acting chief in the overnight hours of July 4, 2022, when Dan Deagan awoke to a nightmare.
"First memory was I thought I was dreaming," said Deagan.
The home he and his girlfriend had moved into just three weeks prior was on fire. She had been in the basement with the dogs to protect them from the sounds of fireworks and made it out safely.
Deagan went to bed in the primary suite on the second floor, where he was trapped.
"There's no oxygen," he recalled. "You can't see anything."
Westlake Police were first on the scene.
"We went to the front door, opened it, and there was heavy smoke coming out about an inch off the floor," said Patrolman JP Toth.
"I yelled up to Mr. Deagan, and he responded back one time."
You can hear Deagan yell back to officers once in police audio from that night and hear police repeatedly telling him to come to the front door and to get low.
Officers then told firefighters Deagan's location and helped pull hose off the engine while Westlake firefighter/paramedics Nick Tummino and John Tomlinson prepared to go in.
Not wanting to waste a second, Tummino followed Tomlinson in while still putting on one of his second gloves and immediately suffered second-degree burns to his hand as the pair made their way up the staircase.
"It was so hot," they both recalled.
They cleared one room and closed the door so they wouldn't go back inside. They then made their way into a second room upstairs.
"I'm just yelling out Dan's name," said Tomlinson. "I look, and I could just barely see anything, but I look, and you can just see Dan stand up, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, come this way, come to my voice'"
The temperature at standing level is estimated to have been up to 600 degrees. Freeman said there was a high risk for a flashover, which is when everything ignites, and no one survives, even firefighters in turnout gear.
"This was knowledgeable guys who dedicate a lot of time to training and education both in the fire service and the paramedic side of it, and this is the result," said Freeman.
Earlier this year in Columbus, Tummino and Tomlinson were honored with Ohio's highest award for fire service valor, and members of the Westlake police and fire departments also received the Star of Life award for their exceptional skill and teamwork that night.
"It's still not enough," said Deagan.
He was there for the awards ceremony and said he considers them heroes for pulling him from the flames that night.
"Oh, of course," he said.
He feels like they gave him a second chance at life.
"From what all the firemen told me, there's no reason I should be alive right now," he said.
Deagan said the fire department told him his crawl pattern that night showed him crawling back and forth between an adjacent room.
He suffered second and third-degree burns over half his body. He spent a month in MetroHealth's burn ICU. He calls his medical staff there his heroes as well.
He spent many more months in rehabilitation.
The pain of the burns and recovery, he said, was unimaginable. However, he said his gratitude is even more intense.
"It's really appreciating life and that things can change very quickly," he said. "And I don't care about the little stuff anymore; life's too short to get upset about little things and to worry about the small things."
There is another reward that has come from that terrible night. The men have now become friends.
"Yeah, Dan turned out to be a pretty cool dude," smiled Tomlinson. "So, that's kind of a plus, you know!"
"Usually, we don't get to see the full circle, the after-effect of what's going on," said Tummino.
They have shared meals and met each other's families. Both firefighters are married with young children.
"It really makes me appreciate how much they're willing to sacrifice, and when you're in there, you realize how terrifying a house fire is, and it makes you appreciate it more," said Deagan.
"I feel blessed to be part of it," said Tummino. "I know all the guys we work with who were in the same situation would've done the same thing."
"That's why I became a fireman, you know, to go fight fire," said Tomlinson. "And, when we get to help someone at the same time, that's just the cherry on top of it!"
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental. Something had likely been smoldering in a trash can that was sitting against the house.
Deagan, who runs several local establishments, including Humble Wine Bar in Lakewood, and the Lakewood and Beachwood Truck Parks, said he is preparing to open another wine bar in Bay Village at the end of this year or early next year.
