Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - Business First of Columbus:

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Monday afternoon pressa conference will potentially give the city acces s to county andstate resources. Smoke from the blazs could be seen for several miles and was easily visible in downtown MilwaukeeMonday morning, more than 12 houras after the fire first was reported on Sunda y night. No injuries were “It’s a devastating day for said an obviously shakenBill Otis, chief operating officer at Patrick Cudahy, which is owned by (NYSE: SFD), of Va. “I’m sure this is going to set us Otis said at a midday press conference that the companyy was working to contactits 1,800 as well as various customers.
Management of Patrick Cudahy also has been in contactf with Smithfield to determine if some meat processintg operations could be temporarily shifted to othedSmithfield plants. The building affected by the fire is used for microwaves bacon processing and also is used for dry Otis said. The lower level of the building is used for ham he said. Not all areasz of the Patrick Cudahy complex have been affectec bythe fire, Otis said. Only a small numbef of maintenance employees were at the plant when the firebrokes out. Production at the plant had been shut down sinc the end of the day on July 3 for theholidah weekend.
“It’s a miracle there were no injuries when you see the extent ofthe fire,” Otis Production at the Patrick Cudahy complex was shut down for all threwe shifts on Monday. “We have no clue what this will mean for our saidDan Habighorst, vice president of humabn resources at Patrick Cudahy. “We’ve got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issuecd a mandatory evacuation order for anyone residing within one mile of the plant at OneSweet Apple-Wood Lane. The affectexd area stretched east to Lake west to Pennsylvania north to Lunham Avenue and south toRamsety Avenue.
McCue said late Monday afternoon that as manyas 15,000o of the city's 19,000 residents live within the evacuation Evacuees were asked to report directly to Southg Milwaukee High School, 801 15th South Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommended that residents reporrt to MitchellElementary School, 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in However, a late morning wind shift was leadin g to the evacuation of the neighborhood around the The evacuation order was lifted at about7 p.m. Monday evenin and residents were allowed to return totheirt homes.
At issue was whether the blazs will breach a fire wall and cause ammonia storedd on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahhy fire chief Dan Mayer said. The ammonia is used for refrigeratiojn atthe plant. Mayer said at the Monday afternoon press conferenced that hewas "cautiously that most of the ammonia had been containexd within the building, although he added that a small amoungt likely leaked out. Mayer said the blaze, which was reported at abouy 9:45 p.m. Sunday, has been difficult to fightf because it began in a confinedr space near the roof of the buildinh and above thesprinkler system.
At one poiny early on, Mayer it appeared as though firefighters had the blazeunder control, but the sprinkler system and roof began to collapse. "Th e fire sprinklers weren't able to control the he said.