Cedar Rapids firefighter injured after 30-foot fall

On Friday morning, the department responded to a fire at the former Diamond V Mills factory.

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids firefighter was injured Friday morning while battling a fire at the former Diamond V Mills plant at 436 G Ave. NW, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

Crews were called to the scene at 6:19 a.m. Friday. People were evacuating the building as firefighters arrived, and the team quickly moved in to search for anyone remaining while other firefighters began putting out the fire with hoses.

During the search, the firefighter — who officials did not identify — fell about 30 feet and was injured. A mayday was called, and the firefighter was found and taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, the release said.

No one else was found during the search and no other injuries were reported. The fire was extinguished at 7:48 p.m. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the release.

The release said the building was “covered by the city” on June 26. That happens when a building has unresolved code violations and often means it’s not safe to enter. The only people allowed to enter the building were those authorized to perform maintenance or official work, the release said.

Diamond V operates a facility in southwest Cedar Rapids. The company’s previous location in northwest Cedar Rapids is owned by Cedar Rapids Development Group LLC, according to city assessor records.

The Marion and Hiawatha fire departments, Area Ambulance and private utility companies responded to the fire Friday.

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