Cheektowaga mailman saves residents from fire

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The first thing Kashif Hakim noticed in his mail forwarded to Idylwood Resort Apartment Homes was a woman leaving Building 34 with her cat.

“Two neighbors wandered into an apartment building and she sort of threw the can at the gentleman and asked him to hold the map as a guide, struggling to hold the cat. So I’m like, what’s going on? ” said Hakim.

That’s when he saw smoke coming from the building. The lady told Kashif that there was a fire and that she had animals in the building. Kashif immediately entered and started knocking on doors to alert people to come out.

“So I come back into the building. A man said to me, ‘Were you knocking on my door? I said to him, Yeah. He said to me, Oh, man, I appreciate that, man. I was in there lying down,” he said.

With his mother being a nurse and his father being a cop, he says helping people is in his blood.

“Quite honestly, (I) just feel regular. Like everyone’s like, oh, you’re a hero now. Far from it. And not a teacher, not a police officer, just the man from the Daily Mail,” did he declare.

Hakim has been recognized by both the National Letter Carriers Association Buffalo Branch 3 as well as the City of Cheektowaga for his actions.

“You know, it feels good to be recognized for helping you, you know what I mean? Society today is always negative. Negative. So the bright light on any thing is always good,” Hakim said.