On Sunday (Sept. 29), a fire at the chemical plant BioLab in Conyers, Georgia, sent a giant cloud of dark smoke into the air. Photos and videos of the incident quickly went viral, given that locals could reportedly see the plume for miles. Now, state and local authorities are revealing more details about the incident’s impact.
From Aimee Baker “My husbands a fireman and took these pictures of his view of the fire in Conyers GA” pic.twitter.com/fMx0GHoFxZ
— James Spann (@spann) September 29, 2024
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Here’s A Recap Of What Happened At BioLab
Associated Press reports that the fire began after a sprinkler head malfunctioned at around 5 a.m. local time. The malfunction caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical, producing a plume of chemicals.
BioLab’s website says it is the swimming pool and spa water care division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products. Emergency responders initially contained a small fire on the plant’s roof, but it reignited Sunday afternoon. Flames were brought under control around 4 p.m. Sunday.
Additionally, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that chemical plant employees were inside the building at the time but suffered no injuries. BioLab confirmed AJC’s report in a statement.
“Our top priority is ensuring the community’s safety, and our teams are working around the clock to respond to the ongoing situation at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,” a spokesperson statement on Monday said. “We continue to work collaboratively with first responders and local authorities and have deployed specialized teams from out of state to the site to bolster and support their efforts. We are all focused on remediating the situation as rapidly as possible.”
More Details About Incident Impact On Nearby Georgia Residents
Local authorities reopened Interstate 20 on Monday morning after they shut it down in both directions in the area Sunday. However, other roads in the county and county government offices remain closed.
On Sunday, evacuation orders went out for people in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20. Media reports have claimed that 17,000 were evacuated, but a spokesperson for the local sheriff’s office, Christine Nesbitt, did not share an exact number. Others were told to shelter in place.
This if from the fire at BioLab in Conyers GA. They have us sheltering in place with our doors, windows closed and air conditioning units turned off. We need more information about what kind of chemicals we are being exposed too. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/KKC8ia6CZe
— Imtroby (@imtroby) September 29, 2024
As of Monday, more than 90,000 residents in Conyers (east of Atlanta) were told to shelter in place indefinitely.
“For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,” a statement from the Rockdale County government said.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Environmental Protection Division have already conducted air quality surveys. The results “revealed the harmful irritant chlorine” in the air from the BioLab fire.
Additionally, the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) of Atlanta-Fulton County revealed it is investigating reports of a “haze and strong chemical smell across Fulton County.” Their statement was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and further advised residents with respiratory issues to “stay inside, close windows and doors and turn off the A/C and other ventaliation systems.”
We do believe it's related to the BioLab fire, but why we are seeing the change in conditions is what we are attempting to figure out, and are awaiting information from Georgia EPD and the EPA
— Atlanta-Fulton County EMA (@AFCEMA) September 30, 2024
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Associated Press staff contributed to this report.
