Photo: Cedar Rapids Fire Department
(Cedar Rapids, IA) -- Fire caused heavy damage to the Dairy Queen at Wilson Avenue and Bowling Street SW this (Wednesday) afternoon. Crews were called out after 12:30 p.m. and entered the rear door but were forced out due to high heat and smoke which prevented them from operating safely.
The Fire Department says at nearly the same time, fire broke through the roof and began burning away support systems for the air handling unit. Visual reports indicate flames as high as 20 feet in the air.
With firefighters forced out of the building, a ladder unit and several ground lines began simultaneously applying water to multiple points. Firefighters pulled apart several sections of eaves to make access for the hoses as they worked to contain the fire growing in the upper reaches of the building. After approximately 57 minutes of active firefighting, the all-clear was given at 1:34p.m.
There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.