CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — An apparent explosion sparked a fire on Saturday at a Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which the company describes as the world's largest milling facility, the Associated Press reported. No injuries were reported, fire officials said.

Source: Associated Press, via InterNewscast

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department said crews were called to the plant at approximately 4:45 p.m. on October 24, AP said. Images and video shared on social media showed a column of black smoke rising over the downtown area of the city, which has about 140,000 residents. The department said on Facebook that the blaze appeared to have started with an explosion.

Local reporting by Homegrown Iowan, citing the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, said fire crews encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the north side of the building at the plant along the Cedar River, and crews immediately began fire suppression efforts. Plant personnel reported everyone evacuated safely, the local report said. Area emergency personnel helped, including supplemental units from Marion, Hiawatha and Linn County, along with Area Ambulance Service, and firefighters remained at the scene as of 6:30 p.m., Homegrown Iowan reported.

Source: Homegrown Iowan (local, Cedar Rapids Fire Department)

Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell said in a Facebook video that every worker escaped safely and was accounted for, AP reported. The fire broke out in a section of the building where products were handled, O'Donnell said, adding: 'It's not heavily populated with employees and team members, which of course in this case was a blessing.'

Authorities had not immediately determined what caused the fire, AP said. PepsiCo Foods US said in a statement that fire crews responded to the scene and that the cause of the blaze will be investigated, AP reported.

According to the company's website cited by AP, the Cedar Rapids Quaker Oats plant is the world's largest milling facility, processing more than 2 million pounds (900,000 kilograms — yaani about 9 lakh kilograms) of oats each day. The Quaker Oats brand, through the Quaker Mill Company, will mark its 150th anniversary in 2027, and PepsiCo owns the brand, AP said.