Patrick Cudahy Fire: Evacuation Area

Media are saying that the mandatory evacuation area due to the fire at Patrick Cudahy is a mile radius from the fire.

That's not true at all.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Cudahy city officials are continuing to urge residents within a one-mile radius of the burning Patrick Cudahy plant to evacuate their homes immediately while a fire continues rages more than 10 hours after the blaze was first reported late Sunday.

Mayor Ryan McCue said all residents within one mile of the plant, at One Sweet Apple-Wood Lane, should leave their homes and report to either Mitchell Elementary School, 5950 S. Illinois Ave., or South Milwaukee High School, 801 15th Ave. Others outside of the one-mile radius who are able to smell smoke also should evacuate, McCue said.

Police and city employees were going door to door on Monday morning telling residents to evacuate.

Tiffany Wynn, a Milwaukee Fire Department spokeswoman, said the department's hazardous materials unit was sent to the scene. She said the five-member crew was called to monitor a 186-pound tank of anhydrous ammonia. The tank has not ruptured, Wynn said.

Here's the map of the evacuation area.



Obviously, the mandatory evacuation area is not a MILE RADIUS. Note the red area on the map is rectangular.

The evacuation area literally borders General Mitchell International Airport.

Where is Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett?

A shift of the wind, out of the east, could mean that the city of Milwaukee would be affected. It could mean closing the airport.

Wouldn't you think that Barrett would be addressing city residents?

Another thing--

I keep hearing the Milwaukee media telling people to go to GENERAL MITCHELL. That has to be creating confusion. They mean General Mitchell Elementary School, not the airport, but they aren't clearly saying that enough.
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UPDATE, 11:20 AM: The wind has shifted. Instead of smoke blowing out over the lake, it's blowing inland, directly toward the airport.

I'm amazed that Barrett isn't on top of this. Is he out of town?

Is his role model Ray Nagin?
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UPDATE: Although the media are still citing the evacuation area as the same alleged mile radius from the plant and showing the same map, Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue says if people smell smoke, they should evacuate. In other words, that map is rather meaningless, based on the shifting winds.

The good news is that the Cudahy fire chief is now cautiously optimistic regarding the threat of an ammonia explosion.