Three workers hurt in fire at Quaker Oats plant

Three workers at the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids were treated for smoke inhalation after a brief, smoky fire at the plant Monday night.

Firefighters were called to the plant at 418 Second St. NE at 9:35 p.m. after sprinklers on the fifth floor of the plant's flour mill were activated, fire department spokesman Greg Buelow said. He said the sprinklers put out the fire before or shortly after firefighters arrived.

Firefighters were told some workers couldn't find their way out of the building due to “thick, black smoke,” Buelow said. Firefighters searched then eight-story building to account for all employees.

The three workers were taken to a hospital for treatment. Further information on their conditions or identities wasn't released. Buelow said their injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening.

Firefighters continued to encounter heavy smoke on the plant's upper floors. On the fifth floor, where the fire apparently started, they found a fire that began in a dust collector, which had damage consistent with a small dust explosion.

Dust explosions happen when dust particles in an enclosed area are ignited, often by a spark from a conveyor belt, Buelow said.

Firefighters and Quaker's own fire brigade checked vents and conveyor belts in the plant to ensure the fire hadn't spread to other parts of the building. Fire damage was confined to the fifth floor, with some smoke damage on other floors, according to Buelow.

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Three workers at the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids were treated for smoke inhalation after a brief, smoky fire at the plant Monday night.

Firefighters were called to the plant at 418 Second St. NE at 9:35 p.m. after sprinklers on the fifth floor of the plant's flour mill were activated, fire department spokesman Greg Buelow said. He said the sprinklers put out the fire before or shortly after firefighters arrived.

Firefighters were told some workers couldn't find their way out of the building due to “thick, black smoke,” Buelow said. Firefighters searched then eight-story building to account for all employees.

The three workers were taken to a hospital for treatment. Further information on their conditions or identities wasn't released. Buelow said their injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening.

Firefighters continued to encounter heavy smoke on the plant's upper floors. On the fifth floor, where the fire apparently started, they found a fire that began in a dust collector, which had damage consistent with a small dust explosion.

Dust explosions happen when dust particles in an enclosed area are ignited, often by a spark from a conveyor belt, Buelow said.

Firefighters and Quaker's own fire brigade checked vents and conveyor belts in the plant to ensure the fire hadn't spread to other parts of the building. Fire damage was confined to the fifth floor, with some smoke damage on other floors, according to Buelow.