Worst avoided in Creekside fire

Creekside Store will be closed “for the foreseeable future,” due to a fire that was thankfully contained quickly due to the actions of the two staff members working at the time of the fire, Calcifer Goodleaf and Christine Taylor.

Late Sunday afternoon, Goodleaf was operating the store’s popcorn machine, and as they were going to empty it after it had just finished preparing a batch of popcorn, they noticed something going very wrong.

“All of a sudden, the wire connecting the pot to the heating elements started sparking like crazy. And then I shut the doors on the machine, and I turned off all the power,” said Goodleaf.

They were unable to unplug the machine before the sparks lit the popcorn on fire.

Goodleaf said the popcorn burned quickly and made a lot of smoke, and with the way the machine was positioned, they were forced to jump over the counter, putting their hoodie over their face to try to block out smoke.

They handed the store’s fire extinguisher to Taylor, and opened the door, using the popcorn shovel as the doorknobs were hot; Taylor successfully put out the fire, severely limiting the damage caused and ensuring the safety of herself, Goodleaf, and the three customers who were in the store when the fire happened.

Goodleaf said that apart from the popcorn machine and products that might have to be thrown away due to the smoke or fire extinguishing powder, the scope of the damage was relatively limited, and no one was injured.

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers arrived soon after due to the alarm activated by Goodleaf, using their own extinguisher to ensure the fire was completely out.

That alarm also drew a crowd around the store, who were able to assist them with a water bottle to rinse out the taste of smoke and fire extinguishing powder from their mouth.

“It was nice of the Peacekeepers to show up, and it was very nice for all the people who came from the nearby area who were in the parking lot to come and make sure everything was okay,” said Goodleaf.

While they are still a little shaken from the experience, Goodleaf said that they are okay physically, and they think they reacted well to the surprise of the fire happening so close to them, all things considered.

Soon after the Peacekeepers arrived, the Kahnawake Fire Brigade (KFB) arrived to make sure everything was okay and to open up the doors and windows of the store to help dissipate the smoke.

Fire chief Wihse Stacey said that because of Taylor and Goodleaf’s quick reaction, KFB did not have to do much more than that.

“When the officer in charge arrived, the only concern was the smoke that was in the building. We just had to ventilate and ensure that it was still safe,” said Stacey.

Creekside Store owners Jake Deer and Babe Jacobs declined to comment, referring The Eastern Door to the statements published on the store’s Facebook page concerning Sunday’s fire.

One of those statements acknowledged what Taylor and Goodleaf did to prevent the worst from happening.

“We want to send a heartfelt thank you and a special acknowledgement for your quick and brave efforts. Without the two of you, things could have been much worse. We are truly grateful to you both - and so thankful that you’re safe,” read the statement.

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