Fireball erupts after explosion at Iowa Quaker Oats plant

An explosion sparked a massive fire at the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday afternoon. The New York Post, ABC7 Los Angeles, newscentermaine.com, and The Gazette all reported that an explosion and fire erupted at the facility. Firefighters rushed to the scene at approximately 4:45 p.m., the New York Post reported. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

All workers on the site evacuated safely and no injuries or fatalities were reported, according to coverage from the New York Post, KGAN, ABC7 Los Angeles, and The Gazette. Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell shared on Facebook that all personnel were able to leave the building without harm. Plumes of heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the north side of the facility. [1][2][3][4][6]

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department stated that the blaze sparked from an explosion within the building, the New York Post reported. The fire broke out in an area of the plant that handles food products. Emergency vehicles responded to the scene, causing traffic backups on Interstate 380 at the S curve, KGAN reported. [1][3]

The facility in Cedar Rapids is the largest plant of its kind in the world, the New York Post reported. The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois, that was originally founded in 1877 in Ravenna, Ohio. [1][7]