Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Mondag afternoon press conference will potentially give the city access to countt andstate resources. Smoke from the blaze could be seen for several miles and was easil visible in downtown MilwaukeeMondayg morning, more than 12 hours afte r the fire first was reportedr on Sunday night. No injuries were reported. “It’a a devastating day for us,” said an obviously shakenh Bill Otis, chief operating officerf at Patrick Cudahy, which is owned by (NYSE: of Smithfield, Va.
“I’m sure this is going to set us Otis said at a midday press conference that the compant was working to contacftits 1,800 employees, as well as various customers. Management of Patrick Cudahy also has been in contacf with Smithfield to determine if some meat processintg operations could be temporarily shifted to otherSmithfield plants. The building affectex by the fire is used for microwavd 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 Patricj Cudahy complex have been affected by the Otis said. Only a smal l number of maintenance employees were at the plany when the firebroke out.
Production at the plant had been shut down sincr the end of the day on July 3 for theholidat weekend. “It’s a miracle there were no injuries when you see the extent of the Otis said. Production at the Patrick Cudahyu complex was shut down for all three shiftson “We have no clue what this will mean for our said Dan Habighorst, vice president of human resources at Patrick “We’ve got to put the fire out first.” The city of Cudahu issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone residin within one mile of the plantt at One Sweet Apple-Wood Lane. The affectes area stretched east to Lake west to Pennsylvania north to Lunham Avenue and soutgh toRamsey Avenue.
McCue said late Monday afternoon that as manyas 15,00p of the city's 19,000 residentsz live within the evacuation zone. Evacuees were askec to report directly to South Milwaukee High 80115th Ave., South Earlier, city officials also had recommended that residents repor to Mitchell Elementary 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in However, a late morning wind shiff was leading to the evacuatiojn of the neighborhood aroundthe school. The evacuatiojn order was lifted at about7 p.m. Mondayt evening and residents were allowed to return totheif homes.
At issue was whether the blazse will breach a fire wall and causr ammonia stored on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahyu fire chief Dan Mayer The ammonia is used for refrigeration at the plant. Mayet said at the Monday afternoon press conference that hewas "cautiously optimistic" that most of the ammoniaa had been contained within the building, although he added that a smalk amount likely leaked out. Mayer said the blaze, whichh was reported at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday, has been difficulrt to fight because it began in a confined space near the roof of the building and abovs thesprinkler system.
At one pointr early on, Mayer said, it appeareed as though firefighters had the blazeundef control, but the sprinkler systej and roof began to "The fire sprinklers weren't able to control the fire," he