Gardaí from the technical bureau yesterday ruled out arson as the cause of the fire at C&D Foods in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford.
"We are satisfied that there is no evidence of criminal intent and it appears at this stage that it was an unfortunate industrial accident," Insp Denis Shields from Granard Garda station said.
The reality of being out of a job hit home yesterday as the 500 staff filed into the Park House Hotel in Edgeworthstown to hear about their social welfare entitlements.
The gates of the Longford pet food factory remained shut after the fire, which caused significant damage on Sunday night. The fire started in the rear of the building and destroyed the cannery. It is thought that a piece of equipment overheated and went on fire.
Cars slowed down to survey the damage as they drove past the plant on the main Dublin to Longford road.
Garda ticker-tape surrounded the factory while dogs frolicked and yelped in the kennels, oblivious to the upheaval.
Nearby, at the Park House Hotel, workers looked grim as they were advised to call to the Department of Social and Family Affairs office in Longford town tomorrow or Friday to establish their entitlements.
Michael McGuire from the department said his staff would be working overtime to help the workers.
Dealing with unemployed staff after a fire was not new, he said as this came after the fire at Glanbia in Rooskey in 2002 and the more recent fire in Glennons' Sawmills near Longford town.
He said there would be some difficult cases if workers from outside the EU were not in the country long enough to benefit from the social welfare system.
"We will do all we can to help and the health board will get involved as well," Mr McGuire said. Nigerian production worker Emeka Okoli, was at the meeting with his wife who is about to give birth to their third child. "It's a very, very big shock. I am very confused," he said as his young daughters played on the carpet.
"It will be so hard because I am the only person working in the family. I don't know what we will do."
Johnny Keenan, a supervisor in the "chunks and gravy" department, said he still couldn't believe what had happened. He had worked there for more than 27 years and said it was the backbone of the town.
"They were good to us, they always looked after us very well at Christmas," he said. "It's a serious blow."
