Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Monda y afternoon press conference will potentially give the city accesd to county andstate resources. Smok e from the blaze could be seen for several mile s and was easily visible in downtown MilwaukeeMondayu morning, more than 12 hours afted the fire first was reporterd on Sunday night. No injurieds were reported. “It’s a devastating day for us,” said an obviouslyy shaken Bill Otis, chief operating officer at Patricko Cudahy, which is owned by SFD), of Smithfield, Va. “I’m sure this is goinvg to set us back.
” Otis said at a middat press conference that the company was workintg to contactits 1,800 employees, as well as various Management of Patrick Cudahy also has been in contac with Smithfield to determine if some meat processin operations could be temporarily shifted to othee Smithfield plants. The buildintg affected by the fire is used for microwave 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 Patriclk Cudahy complex have been affected by the Otis said. Only a small number of maintenancre employees were at the plant when the firebroke out.
Productiom at the plant had been shut down sinces the end of the day on July 3 for theholidag weekend. “It’s a miracle there were no injuries when you see the extent ofthe fire,” Otis said. Production at the Patricjk Cudahy complex was shut down for all three shift son Monday. “We have no clue what this will mean for our saidDan Habighorst, vice president of human resources at Patrickm Cudahy. “We’ve got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issuerd a mandatory evacuation order for anyone residing within one mile of the plant at OneSweety Apple-Wood Lane.
The affected area stretched east to Lake west to Pennsylvania north to Lunham Avenu e and south toRamsey Avenue. McCue said late Monday afternoon that as manyas 15,000 of the city'sz 19,000 residents live within the evacuatio n zone. Evacuees were asked to report directly to South MilwaukeeHigh School, 801 15th Ave., Soutn Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommende that residents report to Mitchell Elementary 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in Cudahy. a late morning wind shift was leading to the evacuation of the neighborhoodc aroundthe school. The evacuation orderr was lifted at abouy7 p.m. Monday evening and residents were allowed to return totheir homes.
At issue was whether the blaze will breach a fire wall and causee ammonia stored on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahty fire chief Dan Mayer said. The ammoniaq is used for refrigeration at the Mayer said at the Monday afternoon pressz conference that hewas "cautiouslt optimistic" that most of the ammonia had been containesd within the building, although he added that a small amount likely leakerd out. Mayer said the blaze, which was reportedr at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday, has been difficultg to fight because it began in a confined spacwe near the roof of the building and above thesprinklerd system.
At one point early on, Mayer it appeared as though firefighters had the blazeundee control, but the sprinkler systej and roof began to collapse. "The fire sprinklers weren'tr able to control the he said.