The Patrick Cudahy Fire

For those of you in Milwaukee, you have to know the story by now. For those of you who aren't (or if you're one of the kids reading this ten years down the road), here's the scoop:

Cudahy, Wisconsin is a southern suburb of Milwaukee named for Patrick Cudahy, the man whose meat packing plant spurred the suburb's creation. The Patrick Cudahy plant is still in operation there and employs some 1,800 workers, making it an invaluable resource to the community. It stands only a couple miles south of my home.

At around 9:30 PM on Sunday night workers reported smelling smoke in the plant, and firefighters responded to what soon became a ferocious blaze. The fire spread quickly through the 1.4 million square foot plant, exploiting void spaces and other idiosyncrasies that come with a building that's been expanded and remodeled over the course of a 121 year history.

As of 5 p.m, nearly a full day into fighting the blaze, officials estimated it would take as much as another day and a half to extinguish the fire. Because of 177,000 pounds of ammonia stored in the plant, everyone within a mile radius was ordered to evacuate. The border for this evacuation zone fell mere blocks from my sister's apartment.




With 27 fire departments and 130 firefighters on the scene, more than 8 million gallons of water were thrown on the flames in the first sixteen hours. The operation drained the water supply of Cudahy and nearby St. Francis, and by noon the City of Milwaukee had to release some of its water supply in order to continue the effort.

When I showed up to work a co-worker and part-time firefighter for New Berlin (a western suburb) was rushing out the door. He told me he'd been called to relieve some of the exhausted fire crews at the scene. I told him to stay safe and wished him well.

Later, at work there were several customers shopping as a diversion from the fire that threatened their homes and livelihood. I also noticed several livestock trucks on Milwaukee streets, probably deliveries diverted from the plant.



Quite aside from the continued, if diminishing, danger from the fire, this will badly damage the operation of the company itself. 1800 badly needed jobs are now in jeopardy. Not just temporarily - who knows if the plant can ever be repaired, how long the repairs or new construction would take, and if it would be economically feasible at all.

Not that there's ever a good time for a disaster like this, but in this economy, it could be a lethal blow to that community and to those who call it home.