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The fire at Patrick Cudahy. | Photo: TODAY'S TMJ4 HD

• Archived Video: 12:00 p.m. Press Conference
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CUDAHY - After 24 hours and more than a 130 firefighters, there's no end in sight to a massive fire at the Patrick Cudahy meat packing plant.

Firefighters continue to battle the monster that consumed a large part of the legendary company.

The flames, thick black smoke and the possibility of an ammonia explosion, caused a mandatory evacuation on Monday, but it was lifted at 7 p.m.

The fire is still burning, and it could burn for another 24 to 36 hours.

Because of that, people in the area are asked to restrict their water use.

Firefighters from 27 different departments poured millions of gallons of water on the sprawling plant. The fire started Sunday night between the sprinkler system and the roof, Fire Chief Dan Mayer said.

Crews were able to contain ammonia, which is used in refrigeration, to a part of the plant where flames were not expected reach, Mayer said. He said he was "cautiously optimistic" an ammonia explosion would be avoided.

Ammonia can be extremely toxic and may be fatal if inhaled.

Only a few of the company's roughly 2,000 workers were at the 117-year-old plant when the fire started, said Carla Peterson, a plant official.

There were no injuries, but representatives for two local hospitals said five people from the area reported breathing problems. Two were treated and released and three elderly people were admitted, each with underlying health conditions that made them more vulnerable.

Nearby residents were told to evacuate because of the threat of toxic fumes, but Mayor Ryan McCue said the order was lifted Monday evening because no ammonia had been detected. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was monitoring air quality.

Most residents said the smoke smelled like burning wood, and none reported smelling ammonia. The smoke pouring from the plant turned thick and black midafternoon Monday as 10-20 mph northwest winds pushed in, but later dwindled.

"I feel we'll be fighting this fire for a minimum of another 24 hours," Battalion Chief Gary Posda said.

The mayor urged Cudahy residents to conserve water because 8.5 million gallons already had been poured on the fire. He declared a state of emergency so city officials could request more county and state resources.

Dan Habighorst, the plant's vice president of human resources, said the fire started on the fourth floor, which weakened and collapsed into the floor below. Cardboard and other paper materials in that area ignited, refueling the flames.

"I'd always get encouraged when the smoke got white, but then it'd turn black," Habighorst said, noting the third and second floors also may have collapsed.

Despite the damage, Habighorst initially said less than half the plant that covers about 1.4 million square feet was affected, and operations could resume in unaffected areas by the end of the week. Later he said managers and clerical workers would return Tuesday but he couldn't estimate when production might resume.

It’s not just a building they’re trying to save but a town’s legacy.

"We’ve got a lot of grit about us," said Habighorst, "120 years. I don't think we are going to throw that away."

About 200 residents, some with pets, waited at the South Milwaukee High School gymnasium before the evacuation order was lifted.

"If I didn't know my neighbors before, I know them today," said former cashier Sally Wells, who declined to give her age.

Dale Kordylas, 50, said his father, grandparents and great-grandfather all worked at Patrick Cudahy. He was worried about whether the plant would remain open.

"How many aren't going to be called back because of this?" he asked. "That is what everybody here is worried about."

Nearby businesses also closed. About 700 employees of metal components company Ladish Co. Inc. were sent home or told not to come to work, said Larry Hammond, a company vice president.

Click here for a list of all the area closings.

Numerous roads were closed off around the area.

Smoke from the fire was visible 7 miles away in downtown Milwaukee, causing delays as people looked at the scene from far away.

Smithfield Foods Inc., which owns the Patrick Cudahy plant, said it was evaluating the fire's possible fallout for customers.

"Currently, we do have available capacity at other Smithfield facilities and will be able to make up any product shortfalls in short order, minimizing any disruption to our customers," the company said in a statement.

Smithfield Foods is the nation's largest hog producer and pork processor. The Smithfield, Va.-based company has been restructuring its business to focus on its packaged meat business, like that done at the Cudahy plant, as it deals with weak prices for hogs and tries to recover from record high ingredient costs last year.

A federal safety agency has cited Patrick Cudahy a number of times since 2000 for various violations.

In 2003 the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the company $72,000 for seven violations, including four labeled "serious." An OSHA spokesman couldn't immediately say what the violations were for.

A fire on July 5th, 2006, forced 600 workers to evacuate the same plant.  Click here for a list of OSHA inspections on the Patrick Cudahy plant location.

In 2006 the company paid the $2,400 to settle three other "serious" violations.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)