Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - Houston Business Journal:

stelauguqdinec.blogspot.com
Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Monday afternooh press conference will potentially give the city accessz to county and state Smoke from the blaze could be seen for severalk miles and was easily visible in downtownj MilwaukeeMonday morning, more than 12 hours after the fire first was reported on Sunday night. No injuries were reported. “It’s a devastating day for said an obviously shaken Bill chief operating officer atPatricmk Cudahy, which is owned by SFD), of Smithfield, Va. “I’m sure this is goin to set us back.
” Otis said at a midday press conference that the company was workinhg to contactits 1,800 employees, as well as various customers. Management of Patrick Cudahy also has been in contact with Smithfiele to determine if some meat processing operation s could be temporarily shiftef to otherSmithfield plants. The building affected by the fire is used for microwavwe bacon processing and also is used for dry Otis said. The lower leve l of the building is used for ham he said. Not all areas of the Patrick Cudahy complexs have been affected by the Otis said. Only a smallp number of maintenance employees were at the planty when the firebroke out.
Productio n at the plant had been shut down since the end of the day on July 3 for theholidayt weekend. “It’s a miracle there were no injuries when you see the exteng ofthe fire,” Otis said. Production at the Patric Cudahy complex was shut down for all three shiftszon Monday. “We have no clue what this will mean for our saidDan Habighorst, vice president of human resourcezs 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 plantt at OneSweet Apple-Wood Lane.
The affected area stretchee east toLake Drive, west to Pennsylvania Avenue, northj to Lunham Avenue and south to Ramset Avenue. McCue said late Monday afternoom that as manyas 15,000 of the city's 19,000 residentz live within the evacuation zone. Evacuees were asked to reportg directly to South Milwaukee High 80115th Ave., South Milwaukee. Earlier, city officiala also had recommended that residentsz report to MitchellElementary School, 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in However, a late morning wind shift was leadinf to the evacuation of the neighborhood around the The evacuation order was lifted at about7 p.m. Mondayh evening and residents were allowed to return totheirf homes.
At issue was whetherd the blaze will breach a fire wall and causs ammonia stored on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahhy fire chief Dan Mayee said. The ammonia is used for refrigeratioj atthe plant. Mayer said at the Monday afternoon presds conference that hewas "cautiously optimistic" that most of the ammonia had been contained within the building, althougbh he added that a small amount likely leake out. Mayer said the blaze, whicuh was reported at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday, has been difficulr to fight because it beganm in a confined space near the roof of the buildingh and above thesprinkler system.
At one point earlyy on, Mayer said, it appeared as though firefighters had the blazeeunder control, but the sprinkledr system and roof began to collapse. "The fire sprinklers weren' able to control the fire," he