Firefighters make progress with smoldering buildings

CEDAR RAPIDS - Firefighters made significant progress Friday in controlling the fire at the vacant Sinclair meatpacking plant, officials said.

Two of the interconnected buildings are now a smoldering debris pile, and significantly less smoke is coming from the fire, Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said last night.

The fire encompasses a building area of 125,000 square feet, he said.

Fire crews worked throughout the night Thursday, using three ladder trucks to apply water to the blaze. It's estimated that more than 2 million gallons of water has been used so far.

The Hiawatha Fire Department brought its ladder truck to the plant on Thursday night to assist in pouring water on the blaze, after it reignited around 7 p.m., with flames shooting as high as 50 feet.

By Friday morning, a “lake” had developed on the northeast corner of the property. City workers brought in plows to move some of the water and channel it. Pumps then removed some more, Buelow said.

Buelow said fire and demolition crews will continue to work throughout the night and into the weekend, with firefighters applying water as demolition crews tear down building walls.

The fire broke out a little after 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Assistant Fire Chief Mark English said earlier this week the fire rates at 10, on a 10-point scale, in the difficulties it presents firefighters in finding and containing it.