BURLINGTON, WI (WTAQ) - The mayor of Burlington says Echo Lake Foods has decided to re-build, after a fire last week that destroyed the plant’s production area.

Bob Miller tells Milwaukee TV station WTMJ it would have been very costly for the company to move elsewhere – especially because 60 percent of the Burlington plant is still standing.

Miller said an insurer has temporary custody of the site, as an investigation continues into what might have caused a blaze that started last Wednesday evening and burned for about 40 hours.

State and local investigators are poring through the damage – and they say it could take weeks or months to identify a cause. Officials do not believe the fire was started on purpose.

The building’s warehouse was saved by a firewall.

But Echo Lake’s 300 employees are without jobs for now – and state workforce development officials will meet with the employees tomorrow to discuss their options.

Among other things, they’ll find out about applying for unemployment benefits.