Commercial centre burns in Kahnawake

Fire destroyed several businesses at Plaza 138 in Kahnawake during the night of Wednesday to Thursday, including The Restaurant 99. The intervention of firemen included the closing of Route 138 leading to the Mercier Bridge, forcing users to take a big detour to reach the South Shore, right in the midst of the morning rush hour.

The alarm was sounded by a citizen at 3:13 a.m. Brandon Betournay Scott was driving on Route 138 when he saw the blaze. « I was coming back from Montreal and saw the very beginning, » he said. « Noticing flames inside, I pulled into the parking lot and immediately called 911. Within three to four minutes, it had blown through the roof! Police arrived shortly after we hung up. »

“When we got there at 3:20 in the morning, the fire had reached the roof,” said Kahnawake fire chief David Scott while the firemen sprayed the ashes at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.  The wind, and the lack of fire hydrants, slowed us down a bit. It just ripped right through the roof. We had to fight both the wind and the weather.” A mechanical shovel was activated. And light rain was falling.

Several business establishments in Plaza 138 are a total loss. « It was never my intention

Plusieurs établissements de la Plaza 138 sont une perte totale. «It was never my intention to send anybody with the way it was burning», Scott said. No loss of life nor any injuries occurred.

Kahnawake firefighters obtained reinforcements from their colleagues in Chateauguay/St. Isidore, St. Remi and Lery. “They sent tankers and firemen,” Scott noted.

Cause of the blaze is unknown. « I don't know if we will be able to find out because there is nothing left of the building, » the fire chief mentioned. According to him, it was the biggest fire ever in Kahnawake.

(Translation Dan Rosenburg)