Massive explosion sparks fire at Quaker Oats plant in Iowa; cause under investigation
Fire breaks out at plant
Cedar Rapids Fire Department crews arrived at the plant around 4:45 p.m. Saturday. The department said an explosion appeared to have started the fire. Images and video shared on social media showed dark smoke rising above downtown Cedar Rapids, a city with approximately 140,000 residents. Officials said the area where the fire occurred was not heavily populated.
Workers evacuated safely
Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a Facebook video that every staff member was evacuated and accounted for without harm. The fire was in a section used for handling products. O’Donnell said the section had relatively few employees and team members, which she described as fortunate in the circumstances.
Investigation underway
PepsiCo Foods US said emergency personnel responded and an investigation into the cause is underway. The company owns the Quaker Oats brand. The Cedar Rapids facility processes more than 2 million pounds, or 900,000 kilograms, of oats each day. The company’s website calls it the world’s largest milling facility.
Key points
- No injuries were reported after Saturday’s fire at the Cedar Rapids plant.
- The fire followed an explosion that officials said appeared to trigger the blaze.
- All staff members were evacuated and accounted for safely.
- The plant processes more than 2 million pounds of oats each day.