Excerpts from rrstar.com:

A Rockford firefighter was injured, but not seriously, when he fell through a floor while battling a structure fire last week.

The firefighter, whose name was not released, was taken to the hospital where he was treated for injuries to his ribs and shoulder and released.

“No broken bones, just banged and bruised up,” Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten said. “He’s at home with his family.”

The Rockford Fire Department was called to 1223 15th Avenue just after 4:30 a.m. for a fire at a vacant two-family building. Firefighters found flames coming from the back of the building when they arrived and knocked down the main body of the fire within minutes.

The firefighter fell while trying to advance into the interior to get to the hot spots. He was heading up to the second floor when he fell through to the first, Bergsten said. Bergsten said it’s been about five years since the last firefighter injury of this nature.