An apparent explosion and fire occurred Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department reported that all employees were safely evacuated and accounted for, with no injuries or deaths reported following the incident.
The Quaker Oats facility, owned by PepsiCo, is described by the company as the largest milling facility in the world. The plant processes more than 2 million pounds, or 900,000 kilograms, of oats daily. The brand was founded by the Quaker Mill Company, which reaches its 150th anniversary in 2027.
Emergency responders received the call at approximately 4:44 p.m. regarding a fire on the back side of the facility, which faces away from I-380. Firefighters reported finding signs of an explosion upon arrival as black smoke became visible over the downtown area. Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell stated that the fire occurred in a section of the building used for handling products, noting that the area was not heavily populated with staff at the time.
Fire officials declared the blaze under control by 6:15 p.m. on Saturday. However, crews remained on-site as of 6:25 p.m. to conduct overhaul operations and extinguish internal hot spots. PepsiCo Foods US confirmed that responders attended to the blaze and stated that the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire is currently under investigation.
The facility serves as a central hub for oat production, processing 2 million pounds of oats every 24 hours. For the city of Cedar Rapids, which has a population of approximately 140,000, the event caused a visible emergency response and smoke in the downtown district.
During the event, workers in the product-handling area were required to evacuate. The exact impact on the plant's daily output or future production schedules was not reported, nor was the specific dollar amount of the physical damage to the structure or machinery.
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department and PepsiCo are investigating the incident. Operations at the facility remained limited on Saturday evening as crews completed the overhaul of the interior.