One of the largest Kosher processing plants in the nation sustained major damage in a fire early this week.
The blaze broke out at the Agri Star processing plant in Postville, Iowa, early Tuesday morning, leading to a response by multiple fire departments as well as warnings about air quality. Residents were also asked to curb water usage as so much was expended fighting the fire.
The office of the Sheriff of Allamakee County said the blaze was first reported at 3:56 a.m. on July 28 and that there were no injuries. The cause of the fire has as yet to be determined.
Agri Star is one the largest Kosher processing plants in the country, producing tens-of-millions of pounds of beef and poultry annually.
When asked if the fire would disrupt production for coming Jewish High Holidays, an Agri Star spokesperson told the Jerusalem News Syndicate, “We’re in the process of getting things going. … We’re doing the best we can.”
According to Anash.org, the company, currently owned by Hershey Friedman, was founded as Agriprocessors three decades ago by the Rubashkin family, becoming the largest Kosher meat processor in the U.S.
It is one of the largest employers in Northeast Iowa.
“It is a very heavy fire, and people are extremely worried about what will happen with the plant going forward,” Shliach Rabbi Aron Schimmel told Anash.org in an interview.
“Many people in the area rely on the facility for their parnassah [Hebrew term for “livelihood”], and there is a lot of concern among workers and their families about what this means for their livelihoods.”