Tens of thousands of Georgia residents are being forced to evacuate after BioLab, a chemical facility in Conyers, experienced a fire that caused a huge plume of smoke into the air over the weekend.
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The chemical plant fire occurred on Sunday, Sept. 29. Although it was initially extinguished, the fire reignited, causing a massive plume of smoke in the sky that was visible from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which is nearly 30 miles away.
Around 17,000 Georgia residents were told to evacuate their homes due to the fire. Several roads, including I-20, were also closed. The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office encouraged residents to remain indoors and keep windows closed to minimize exposure to any potential hazards.
There’s an enormous #chemicalfire about 20 miles east of #atlanta. Biolab industries had a fault in a sprinkler system and water hit some chemicals causing a reaction and a massive fire. Video shot by my nephew on his drone a few miles south. pic.twitter.com/DdWxxoxatd
— Kernel (@Kernel355650) September 29, 2024
The media outlet reports this is the third time a fire has ignited at the BioLab facility in seven years.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel shared in a press conference that the fire ignited on the roof. This caused the sprinkler system to mix with a water-reactive chemical at the plant. McDaniel previously announced that a sprinkler head malfunctioned.
Although the fire was placed under control around 4 p.m., it remains unclear what started it. The plant’s roof and walls have reportedly collapsed.
Officials stated there were employees inside the plant at the time of the fire. However, no injuries have been reported.
Residents Will Likely See Smoke For Days After Chemical Plant Fire
Meanwhile, a shelter-in-place order was issued for the area surrounding the plant. Officials revealed that residents are likely to see the plume of smoke for several days. It is a chemical reaction and not the fire itself.
McDaniel stated on Sunday morning that crews were working on taking the material away from the water source at the facility. At that point, the fire was contained to the roof.
“Now we are just trying to mitigate the debris so we can offload the product,” McDaniel explained.
Rockdale sheriff Eric Levett also “strongly asked” residents to stay away from the area. This included I-20 in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill Road.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office further stated that the stretch of I-20 and all of its exits in Rockdale County are closed. Officials also created an evacuation zone for a large portion of Conyers.
“The interstate as you can see is backed up. We are working with the Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Public Safety to assist with traffic control,” the sheriff said.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) stated the shelter-in-place order was issued on behalf of Rockdale’s emergency management agency. No timeline has been established as to when the area will be safe.
Officials confirmed all Newton County Schools will be closed on Monday out of an “abundance of caution.” The Rockdale County District Attorney’s Office further reported that its offices and county courthouse will also be closed.
“We ask for your prayers for the safety of the residents of Rockdale and the first responders committed to protecting our community,” the DA’s office added.