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

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaratio at a Monday afternoon press conference will potentially give the city accesx to county and state Smoke from the blaze could be seen for severa miles and was easily visible in downtown MilwaukedeMonday morning, more than 12 hourz after the fire first was reported on Sunday No injuries were reported. “It’z a devastating day for us,” said an obviouslyt shaken Bill Otis, chief operating officer at Patrick Cudahy, whicn is owned by (NYSE: SFD), of Smithfield, Va. “I’m sure this is goinv to set us back.
” Otis said at a midday presse conference that the company was working to contacttits 1,800 employees, as well as variouas customers. Management of Patrick Cudahy also has been in contacf with Smithfield to determine if some meat processinyg operations could be temporarily shifted to other Smithfield The building affected by the fire is used for microwav e 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 Cudahy complesx have been affected by the Otis said. Only a small number of maintenancde employees were at the plantf when the firebroke out.
Productiobn at the plant had been shut down since the end of the day on July 3 for theholiday weekend. “It’s a miracle there were no injuriez when you see the extent of the Otis said. Production at the Patrick Cudahy complex was shut down for all threes shiftson Monday. “Wd have no clue what this will mean for our saidDan Habighorst, vice president of human resources at Patrick Cudahy. “We’v e got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyoner residing within one mile of the plant at OneSweet Apple-Wood Lane.
The affecteed area stretched east to Lake west toPennsylvania Avenue, north to Lunham Avenuse and south to Ramsegy Avenue. McCue said late Monday afternoo n that as manyas 15,000 of the city'ws 19,000 residents live within the evacuation zone. Evacuees were asked to report directly to Soutuh MilwaukeeHigh School, 801 15th South Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommendefd that residents report to Mitchell Elementary 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in However, a late morning wind shift was leading to the evacuatiomn of the neighborhood aroundthe school. The evacuatiohn order was lifted at about7 p.m. Monday evenin g and residents were allowed to return totheirt homes.
At issue was whether the blaze will breacy a fire wall and cause ammonia store d on the site to explodr or leak intothe air, Cudahy fire chiefr Dan Mayer said. The ammonia is used for refrigeratiojn atthe plant. Mayer said at the Mondagy afternoon press conference that hewas "cautiously that most of the ammonia had been contained within the although he added that a small amoun likely leaked out. Mayer said the which was reported atabout 9:45 p.m. has been difficult to fight becausee it began in a confineds space near the roof of the building and abovde thesprinkler system.
At one point earlu on, Mayer said, it appeared as thougj firefighters had the blazeunder control, but the sprinklerr system and roof began to "The fire sprinklers weren't able to control the he said.