Ryan Milligan, a 36-year-old North Royalton firefighter, has been identified as the firefighter killed battling a Broadview Heights house fire.

Milligan died after responding to the blaze at a home on West Royalton Road on Monday, Nov. 2, according to Seven Hills Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta, as first reported by WKYC. As we reported Nov. 3, a North Royalton firefighter had died and a second was hospitalized, but the department had not released names.

Milligan lived in Seven Hills with his wife, Laura, and their two children. He was a 2009 graduate of Normandy High School. He joined the North Royalton Fire Department in 2016 and had served more than 10 years, according to the department. He also served with the Seven Hills Fire Department.

North Royalton Mayor Paul Marnecheck said Milligan had recently signed up for a future fire lieutenant promotional exam. Marnecheck asked the community to keep the firefighters and their families in their prayers "while respecting their privacy."

A second firefighter, 38-year-old Andrew Protsman of Parma, was also hospitalized after the fire. Marnecheck said Protsman "suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition" and "will recover." Protsman has been a member of the North Royalton Fire Department since 2021.

Multiple police officers who responded to the scene were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, according to Broadview Heights Police Chief Don Polick.

The fire broke out Monday night. First responders from multiple area departments responded.

Governor orders flags at half-staff

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday ordered flags at all public buildings in North Royalton, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center and the Rhodes State Office Tower lowered to half-staff, WKYC reported. The flags will remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of Milligan's funeral. Other public buildings across Ohio may also lower flags during the same period at their discretion, according to DeWine's office.

Escort and tributes

Law enforcement and first responders gathered around noon Tuesday, Nov. 3, to escort Milligan's body from MetroHealth in Cleveland to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.

"Ryan was raised in Seven Hills, a community he continued to proudly call home," Biasiotta stated. "A 2009 graduate of Normandy High School, Ryan was a devoted husband, loving father of two, and a friend to so many."

Charlotte Fire Department said on X that it mourns the loss of Milligan, calling him a veteran of the North Royalton Fire Department.

The cause of the West Royalton Road fire has not been announced.