Uncooked Raw Bacon on a rustic wooden board on a white wooden background, top view.

Fire at Smithfield Cudahy Plant Sends One Person to Hospital, Causes Minor Damage

Jan. 6, 2025

One person was treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation, as sprinkler system contained the event to one piece of machinery on the plant’s fourth floor.

Andy Hanacek

A fire at Smithfield Foods’ legacy Patrick Cudahy plant in Cudahy, Wis., on Saturday, Jan. 4, resulted in one person being taken to a hospital and minor damage, according to local reports.

The fire department was called when smoke was discovered on the plant’s third and fourth floors Saturday morning. A sprinkler system contained the fire, and firefighters extinguished the fire after finding smoke coming from a piece of machinery on the fourth floor.

One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Although the fire caused minor damage, the news reports said it had little impact on facility operations.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.