More than 100 firefighters have been fighting a blaze at the Patrick Cudahy Incorporated meatpacking plant for the past ten hours. Area residents within a one mile radius of the Cudahy, Wisconsin plant have been evacuated to area schools until the fire is contained.
The first 911 call came in at 9:52 p.m. Sunday night. The call for mutual aid went out to 15 different community fire departments when the magnitude of the blaze became apparent. In addition, 40 police departments throughout Wisconsin have dispatched assistance to the area.
The 121 year old building, has suffered heavy fire, water and smoke damage. Employees stood behind the yellow tape, watching the blaze after they learned that the entire plant would be closed for at least the day. A total of 1,900 employees are on the payroll.
The business was moved to its current 700 acre location south of Milwaukee in 1892. The family business was started by Patrick Cudahy Jr., an American industrialist and patriarch who died in 1919.
Ironically, a fire on July 5, 2006 prompted the evacuation of 600 workers from the same plant, which triggered the last Dept. of Labor OSHA inspection of the facility - see record of incidents here.
According to Cudahy Police Chief Thomas Poellet, people are urged not to call police dispatchers unless there is a life-threatening emergency.
View more photos and video below.
0 comments:
Post a Comment