Emergency crews responded to the Quaker Oats factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after a large fire tore through the facility.
Dramatic footage shared online Saturday evening showed flames consuming part of the plant while a towering column of black smoke rose above the Cedar Rapids skyline.
Cedar Rapids police and firefighters were called to the factory at 4:45 p.m. EST, where they reported finding what appeared to be “evidence of an explosion and subsequent fire.” Officials accounted for all plant employees roughly 45 minutes later.
The Battalion Chief’s office described the situation as “dynamic and ongoing” at approximately 6 p.m. as emergency operations continued.
By 7 p.m., fire officials said there had been no reported injuries or deaths. A video posted by the department on X showed extensive damage, including a section of the building coated in dark ash.
Responders remained gathered outside the factory as daylight faded. Crews were also seen preparing a stretcher, although it did not appear to be used.
Authorities had not determined what caused the apparent explosion or confirmed the full extent of the damage. Witnesses told local ABC affiliate KCRG that they felt a blast before seeing thick black smoke emerge from behind the Quaker Oats facility.
A spokesperson for PepsiCo Foods US, the company that owns Quaker Oats, confirmed to Our News Outlet that a fire had broken out at the site. The cause, the spokesperson said, would be investigated.
A huge column of black smoke could be seen over Cedar Rapids on Saturday evening. Picture source: @BrianMOwens5 / X
Officials described the fire response as “dynamic and ongoing.” Picture source: @BrianMOwens5 / X
A major fire erupted Saturday evening, though the cause and any possible injuries remained unclear. Picture source: RoBin Cole / Facebook
“We can confirm all employees are accounted for and we are grateful to the first responders who continue to operate at the facility to control the fire,” the spokesperson said.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a video message that the fire started in an area used to move products, where few or no employees were present.
She pointed to the large emergency response at the scene, saying, “This is what these folks train for every day. How grateful we are to have them here.”
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According to the mayor, the area around the explosion was not heavily occupied by workers, and firefighters brought the blaze under control quickly.
O’Donnell said area hospitals had been prepared to assist with the emergency response, but medical support ultimately was not needed.
The mayor also called Quaker Oats an “iconic” brand with deep importance to the Cedar Rapids community.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said on X that he had been notified about the fire and was “praying for the safety of those in or near the building and for the first responders on the scene.”
Josh Turek, a representative and Senate candidate, said in a statement: “Praying for all the workers, the first responders on scene, and everyone nearby at the Quaker Oats factory in Cedar Rapids right now.”
Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson added: “Praying that everyone is safe at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids.”
‘Thank you to the first responders working to put this fire out and keep the community safe. Our office stands ready to assist in any way we can.’
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department accounted for all employees at the plant in under an hour after the fire was reported
Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, prompting a massive first response effort
The Quaker Oats facility is no stranger to flames. In 2024, personnel were evacuated, and an employee was sent to the hospital after a piece of machinery started smoking, KCRG reported at the time.
In 2018, firefighters responded to the facility after a product inside an oven caught fire and smoke engulfed the building’s tenth floor, according to CBS 2 Iowa.
A year before the brand became Quaker Oats, the American Cereal Company plant in Cedar Rapids suffered a massive explosion, claiming the lives of two workers.
Investigators determined the blast was caused by spontaneous combustion and rebuilt the plant in 1905.
Our News Outlet has reached out to local authorities for additional information.
