CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — An apparent explosion sparked a fire Saturday at a Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which the company describes as the world’s largest milling facility. Fire officials said no one was injured.
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department said crews were dispatched at about 4:45 p.m. Images and video shared on social media showed a column of black smoke rising above the downtown area of the city, which has roughly 140,000 residents.
The department said on Facebook that the fire appeared to have started with an explosion.
Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a Facebook video that all employees safely evacuated the plant and were accounted for. No injuries were reported.
The blaze broke out in a section of the facility where products were handled, O’Donnell said.
“It’s not heavily populated with employees and team members. Which of course in this case was a blessing,” O’Donnell said.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Premier League confirm nominees for Player & Manager of the Month for February 2024 – NewsFinale
Authorities had not immediately determined what caused the fire.
PepsiCo Foods US said in a statement that emergency crews responded to the fire and that investigators would examine how it began.
The Quaker Oats brand, through the Quaker Mill Company, will mark its 150th anniversary in 2027. PepsiCo owns the brand.
According to the company’s website, the Quaker Oats plant processes more than 2 million pounds (900,000 kilograms) of oats each day, making it the largest milling facility in the world.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.