Exactly one year after firefighter Rob Rochette found himself consumed by a massive fireball while battling an East Main Street blaze that left him seriously burned, he returned to work Thursday for his first shift since the fire. It’s been a tough year of recovery, but for Rochette, 34, there’s no place he would rather be than with his brothers from Engine 2.
“It’s good to be back,” Rochette said.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 2015, firefighters responded to 504 E. Main St. for a fire on the first floor of the building. Rochette was among several firefighters inside battling the blaze when a door suddenly collapsed, sending a fireball surging toward Rochette and the others from behind.