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

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Mondayg afternoon press conference will potentially give the city accessd to county andstate resources. Smokde from the blaze could be seen for several milesz and was easily visible in downtown MilwaukerMonday morning, more than 12 hours aftefr the fire first was reported on Sundayu night. No injuries were “It’s a devastating day for said an obviously shakenmBill Otis, chief operating officer at Patricjk Cudahy, which is owned by (NYSE: SFD), of Va. “I’m sure this is gointg to set us back.
” Otis said at a middayu press conference that the company was workinh to contactits 1,8000 employees, as well as various Management of Patrick Cudahyy also has been in contact with Smithfield to determine if some meat processing operationds could be temporarily shifted to othet Smithfield plants. The buildin g affected by the fire is used for microwaves bacon processing and also is used for dry Otis said. The lower level of the buildingg is used forham processing, he Not all areas of the Patrick Cudahy comples have been affected by the fire, Otis said. Only a smalpl number of maintenance employees were at the plangt when the firebroke out.
Productionh at the plant had been shut down since the end of the day on July 3 for theholidah weekend. “It’s a miracle therse were no injuries when you see the extenr ofthe fire,” Otis said. Production at the Patricl Cudahy complex was shut down for all three shiftson “We have no clue what this will mean for our said Dan Habighorst, vice president of humajn resources at Patrick Cudahy. “We’ve got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issued a mandatory evacuatiobn order for anyone residing within one mile of the plant at OneSweef Apple-Wood Lane.
The affected area stretched east to Lake west toPennsylvania Avenue, north to Lunham Avenue and south to Ramseh Avenue. McCue said late Monday afternoon that as manyas 15,009 of the city's 19,000 residents live within the evacuation zone. Evacuees were asked to report directlt to South MilwaukeeHigh School, 801 15th Ave., Soutu Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommendex that residents report to MitcheloElementary School, 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in Cudahy. However, a late morningf wind shift was leading to the evacuatiom of the neighborhood aroundthe school. The evacuatio order was lifted at about7 p.m.
Mondau evening and residents were allowed to return to their At issue was whether the blaze will breacb a fire wall and cause ammonia storede on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahy fire chief Dan Mayer said. The ammoniz is used for refrigeratiomn atthe plant. Mayetr said at the Monday afternoon presss conference that hewas "cautiously optimistic" that most of the ammonisa had been contained within the building, althoughn he added that a small amounty likely leaked out. Mayer said the which was reported atabouyt 9:45 p.m.
Sunday, has been difficult to fight becauss it began in a confined space near the roof of the buildingt and above the sprinkler At one pointearly on, Mayer said, it appearecd as though firefighters had the blaze under control, but the sprinkle system and roof begamn to collapse. "The fire sprinklers weren't able to control the fire," he said.