Firefighters got the call to the plant at around 4:44 p.m. Saturday, October 24 after reports of an explosion and fire, according to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the north side of the building.
Additional firefighters from Marion, Hiawatha and Linn County also ended up called in to help battle the blaze.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a Facebook video that all workers were safe and accounted for. She said the fire broke out in an area of the plant where relatively few employees were working.
“It’s not heavily populated with employees and team members. Which, of course, in this case was a blessing,” O’Donnell said.
Most of the fire had been put out by 6:25 p.m., though firefighters were still working inside the building, the fire department said.
Authorities have not said what caused the explosion or how much damage the fire caused.
Quaker Oats employees were able to return to work after Saturday’s explosion and fire at the downtown Cedar Rapids plant, fire officials said Monday.
Smoke rises from behind the Quaker Oats facility in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after an explosion followed by a fire.
Source: KCRG
PepsiCo Foods US, which owns the Quaker Oats brand operates the downtown Cedar Rapids plant. The Quaker Oats plant is the world’s largest milling facility, processing more than 2 million pounds of oats each day, according to the company’s website.
PepsiCo and local authorities launched a formal investigation into the exact cause of the explosion and subsequent fire.