116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Firefighters tackle fire in southwest Cedar Rapids

Dec. 8, 2022 3:58 pm, Updated: Dec. 8, 2022 5:09 pm
Firefighters work to put out a fire in a mixed use commercial building at 3300 Southgate Ct. SW in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Several units responded to the fire, including two aerial trucks. (Gage Miskimen/The Gazette)
Firefighters work to put out a fire in a mixed use commercial building at 3300 Southgate Ct. SW in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Several units responded to the fire, including two aerial trucks. (Gage Miskimen/The Gazette)
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Fire Department took on a fire in southwest Cedar Rapids Thursday afternoon that caused extensive damage to a building that housed retail, office space and a church.
No injuries were reported from the fire in the building at 3300 Southgate Court SW. The fire was called in at 1:50 p.m., and by 3:30 p.m. it was mostly put out, with crews still fighting small flare ups in pockets of the building, according to Cedar Rapids Public Safety Communications Specialist Mike Battien.
Wind speed and direction prevented firefighters from getting inside the building during the fire -- instead, they used aerial trucks and crews on the ground. A later search of the building found no occupants, according to a news release.
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The building was damaged extensively, if not catastrophically, Battien said.
The news release states that the building housed retail and business office space, as well as a church. All areas of the building were damaged, either from smoke, fire, water, or a combination of the three.
The cause of the fire was determined to be smoking materials left unattended near an entrance to the building.
Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com