Error bursts are detected and corrected in a communication system using shortened cyclic codes, such as shortened Fire codes. Data is loaded into a first error syndrome register and a second error syndrome register. The data in the registers may be evaluated to determine if the data bits contain a correctable error. Shortened zero bits are shifted into the second error syndrome register. A number of zero bits are shifted into the first error syndrome register to trap an error burst pattern in the data. A determination is made as to the number of zero bits shifted into the second error syndrome register to trap the location of the error burst in the data. Using the number of zero bits shifted into the second error syndrome register and the error burst pattern, the error in the data is located and corrected.