Julia Moffitt/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis, Sept. 10 - Investigators have determined the fire at the Hebrew National Food processing plant Tuesday morning was started by a faulty wire in one of the plant's refrigerators.
While that mystery may be solved, investigators and the company still needs to find out how a 14-year employee was left behind and died.
The fire started on the second floor in the packaging area of the processing plant just before eleven o’clock Monday night.
Employees were already outside when firefighters arrived. Company officials told them all of the workers made it out safely.
Because of the large amount of water from the sprinklers and the live electrical wires, firefighters determined the best thing to do was put off a systematic search of the burning building.
Indianapolis Fire Captain Bill Brown says, "Given all those facts, the department erred on the side of caution to bring firefighters out, since (the fire was) controlled by sprinkler system."
Two hours later, when firefighters could finally safely enter the building, they found 49-year-old Rabbi David Franz dead in his locked office, next to where the fire started. Investigators say he died from smoke inhalation. "Company officials told us it is not unusual for him to move around the building. He did not report to any foreman on sight."
Rabbi Franz worked the night shift at Hebrew National. He'd been there for 14 years.
"We do produce kosher products under rabbinical supervision so we have rabbis scheduled to shifts we're operating," says company spokesperson Julie DeYoung.
Three hundred people work at the kosher meat processing plant. Most of them are off the job while the plant is cleaned and repaired.
Time that most will no doubt use to mourn the loss of a colleague.
DeYoung says, "We're just deeply sympathetic to family and want to express our deepest sympathy to family."
The company hopes to be fully operational by the end of the week.
Rabbi Franz attended two local synagogues. He leaves behind a wife and two children.