Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Mondahy afternoon press conference will potentially give the city access to countyg andstate resources. Smoke from the blaze could be seen for several miles and was easily visible in downtown Milwaukee Monday morning, more than 12 hours aftet the fire first was reported on Sundau night. No injuries were reported. “It’s a devastating day for said an obviously shakenBill Otis, chiefd operating officer at Patrick Cudahy, which is owned by SFD), of Smithfield, Va. “I’mk sure this is going to set us back.
” Otis said at a middayg press conference that the company was working to contactits 1,800 as well as variousz customers. Management of Patrick Cudahyy also has been in contact with Smithfield to determinwe if some meat processing operations could be temporarilyh shifted to otherSmithfield plants. The building affectee by the fire is used for microwavee bacon processing and also is used for dry Otis said. The lower level of the building is used for ham he said. Not all areas of the Patrick Cudahty complex have been affected bythe fire, Otis Only a small number of maintenanc employees were at the plant when the fire broke out.
Productiohn at the plant had been shut down since the end of the day on July 3 for theholidau weekend. “It’s a miracle there were no injuriese when you see the extent of the Otis said. Production at the Patrick Cudahyu complex was shut down for all thre shiftson Monday. “We have no clue what this will mean for our saidDan Habighorst, vice president of humajn resources at Patrick Cudahy.
“We’ve got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone residing within one mile of the planrt at OneSweet Apple-Wood The affected area stretched east to Lake Drive, west to Pennsylvania north to Lunham Avenue and south to Ramset Avenue. McCue said late Mondahy afternoon that as manyas 15,000 of the city's 19,000 residents live within the evacuation Evacuees were asked to report directly to Soutb Milwaukee High School, 801 15th Ave., South Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommendec that residents report to MitchellElementary School, 5950 S. Illinoix Ave. in Cudahy.
However, a late morning wind shifgt was leading to the evacuation of the neighborhoor aroundthe school. The evacuation order was lifted at about7 p.m. Monday evening and residents were allowed to returm totheir homes. At issue was whetherr the blaze will breach a fire wall and causs ammonia stored on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudah y fire chief Dan Mayer said. The ammoniqa is used for refrigeration atthe plant. Mayere said at the Monday afternoon presss conference that hewas "cautiousl y optimistic" that most of the ammonia had been containedc within the building, although he added that a small amoun t likely leaked out.
Mayer said the which was reported atabout 9:45 p.m. Sunday, has been difficult to fighy because it began in a confined space near the roof of the buildingy and above the sprinkler At one pointearly on, Mayet said, it appeared as though firefighterz had the blaze under control, but the sprinkler systekm and roof began to collapse. "The fire sprinklerws weren't able to control the he said.