Street Help loses a week of food after Wyandotte fire at El Mayor

It was around 3:30 a.m. when people at Street Help found out they had to get out due to a fire at El Mayor, a restaurant a few doors down on Wyandotte Street East.

Dan Druer was so tired that nothing woke him up until his friend called.

"I automatically woke up, woke up everybody and got into action mode," he said. He helped five others evacuate the building to avoid the thick smoke that had crept inside.

"Today I just feel blessed that I got everybody to safety and no one's hurt," said Druer.

Druer, also a volunteer at Street Help, said the power is out and the organization has to be closed for a day.

The fire at El Mayor had collapsed its roof and sent debris onto the street. An investigator from the Ontario Fire Marshal's office will be looking at the origin and cause of the fire.

While the flames did not spread to other buildings on the block, the smoke got into Street Help and it means much of the food will be headed for the trash.

"They don't know what type of carcinogens could get in through that smoke," said Street Help administrator Christine Wilson-Furlonger."To be on the safe side, we have to dispose of [the food]."

In total, Wilson-Furlonger estimated a loss of roughly a week's worth of food, with crates of bread, onions and bags of potatoes that will be tossed.

On Thursday morning when people knocked on the door of Street Help hoping to get breakfast, she said they had to be turned away. Thankfully, said Wilson-Furlonger,there were some gift cards leftover from Christmas donations, so people can be redirected that way.

For the rest of the day, Wilson-Furlonger said the Sikh community at Windsor Sports and Culture Centre has "stepped up" to help with providing food for those who need it.

Even though the situation will be a bit costly, she said it's fortunate that nobody from Street Help was hurt. But it's a terrible situation for those at El Mayor, she said, where the workers no longer have jobs as of now.

"I feel horrible for our neighbours, that's their livelihood."