Ingredion fire continued burning Wednesday, contained to corn silo

CEDAR RAPIDS — A fire at the Ingredion facility in southwest Cedar Rapids was still burning Wednesday afternoon, after first being reported Tuesday afternoon.

The multinational ingredient maker, which operates a facility in the 1000 block of First Street SW, reported to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department that there was an industrial fire in the corn processing plant at around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. A press release from the fire department states plant employees “located a heat source, but it is not directly accessible.”

An updated release sent out Wednesday afternoon by Ingredion states that employees detected an increase in temperature in one of the facility’s corn silos and immediately enacted safety protocols, including calling the fire department, activating the Ingredion Incident Response Team and evacuating all other employees and contractors.

So far there has been no equipment or structural damage, and the fire has been contained to the silo it started in, the release states. There was a decrease in the measurable temperature Tuesday night that “indicates a lessening of the smoldering,” according to the Ingredion release.

Cedar Rapids firefighters are on standby in case the situation changes, according to an update from the fire department Wednesday morning.

Six Cedar Rapids Fire Department vehicles were staged on site Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, one engine and one command vehicle remained assigned to the location, the fire department said.

“Safety is our top priority. We will continue our efforts to address the incident and prepare remediation efforts that prioritize the safety of our employees, CRFD and the surrounding community,” the Ingredion statement reads.

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