A large blaze gutted part of a meatpacking plant south of Milwaukee, and authorities warned thousands of nearby residents to evacuate because of the possibility of toxic fumes or an ammonia explosion. The warning was lifted about 7 p.m.
The fire at the Patrick Cudahy Inc. plant in Cudahy, a suburb of Milwaukee, started Sunday night.
Firefighters contained the ammonia, which is used in refrigeration, to part of the plant where flames were not expected to reach, Fire Chief Dan Mayer said, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic" an explosion would be avoided.
