Emergency crews rush to Iowa Quaker Oats factory after massive explosion sends flames shooting through shattered windows

Emergency crews rushed to a Quaker Oats factory in Iowa after a massive fire engulfed the building. 

Dramatic video footage of the fire circulated online on Saturday evening, showing a daunting black smoke plume over the Cedar Rapids factory as flames ravaged the building. 

Cedar Rapids Police and Fire were dispatched to the building at 4.45pm EST and located what appeared to be ‘evidence of an explosion and subsequent fire.’ After about 45 minutes, officials accounted for all plant workers. 

The Battalion Chief’s office told the Daily Mail that the incident was ‘dynamic and ongoing’ at around 6pm. 

In a 7pm update, firefighters said no injuries or fatalities were reported. The department shared a video on X showing the building badly damaged, with one side of the factory covered in black ash. 

Emergency responders gathered around the facility as the sun set in the background. First responders were seen preparing a stretcher that appeared unused. 

It is unclear what caused the explosion and the extent of the damage. Witnesses told local ABC affiliate KCRG that they felt an explosion before seeing black smoke rising from behind the Quaker Oats facility. 

A spokesperson for PepsiCo Foods US, which owns Quaker Oats, confirmed to the Daily Mail that a fire broke out at their facility and details about how the fire started would be investigated. 

‘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 added. 

Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a video message that the fire broke out in an area where product is moved, so no employees were nearby. 

She noted the heavy fire presence, adding: ‘This is what these folks train for every day. How grateful we are to have them here.’ 

The area of the explosion was not heavily populated by employees, and firefighters quickly got the fire under control, according to the mayor.  

O’Donnell said local hospitals supported the emergency response effort, but it ended up being unneeded.

The mayor added that Quaker Oats is an ‘iconic’ brand and important to Cedar Rapids residents. 

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley wrote on X that he was alerted to the fire and is ‘praying for the safety of those in or near the building and for the first responders on the scene.’

Representative and Senate candidate Josh Turek 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 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. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to local authorities for additional information.