Explosion and Fire at Quaker Oats Plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the World's Largest Oat Mill; All Workers Accounted For
Fox Business says firefighters were called around 4:44 p.m. Saturday and found heavy smoke and flames on the north side. The cause and the damage are unknown.
An apparent explosion started a fire Saturday at a Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Fox Business reports.
What happened. Thick black smoke drifted over downtown Cedar Rapids as firefighters rushed to the facility. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department says it was called to the plant at about 4:44 p.m. local time after reports of an explosion and fire. Crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the north side of the building.
People. The report's subhead says all workers were safely accounted for.
The plant. Fox says the Cedar Rapids site is the world's largest oat milling facility, according to the company's website. It processes more than 2 million pounds of oats a day.
What is not known. Authorities have not said what caused the explosion or how much damage the fire did. Fox does not say whether production has stopped or how long any shutdown might last.
Note for readers: this is an early report. We relied on Fox Business and did not find a statement from Quaker Oats or its parent company.