Interstate closed outside Atlanta as residents evacuate due to chemical plant fire

Content of the article

CONYERS, Ga. (AP) – Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were ordered to evacuate their homes Sunday to avoid contamination from a chemical plant fire that sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles. away.

Interstate 20 was shut down in both directions in the area, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a post on X. Reports said traffic snarled as vehicles backed up in the area after the closure.

The fire broke out when a sprinkler head malfunctioned around 5 a.m. Sunday at the BioLab plant in Conyers, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters. The damage causes the water to mix with water-reactive chemicals, producing large amounts of chemicals.

Content of the article

McDaniel said there are employees inside the plant but no injuries have been reported at this time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The newspaper said a cloud of smoke could be seen Sunday evening as far as 30 miles (50 kilometers) away from Atlanta’s international airport south of the city. He added that no injuries were immediately reported.

“Once we can get that chemical out of the building and allow it to burn off we’ll be in better shape,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel said he wasn’t sure what chemicals were in the plume.

BioLab’s website says it is a pool and spa water treatment division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products. An automated message at the phone number on the parent company’s website calls back during business hours.

“We are actively responding to the incident at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,” a BioLab representative said in a statement provided to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Our employees are believed to have no reported injuries. Our teams are on the scene, working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation.

Content of the article

A small fire on the roof of the plant was initially, but it reignited Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Eric Levett said in a video posted on Facebook as gray smoke spewed into the sky behind him. He said authorities were trying to control the fire and urged people to stay away from the area.

People in northern Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were told to evacuate and others were told to shelter in place with windows and doors closed. Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Christine Nesbitt did not know how many people were evacuated although it included a large portion of the Conyers community.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Division of Environmental Protection were at the site, county Emergency Management Director Sharon Webb said. The agency is monitoring the air “to give us more of an idea of ​​the plume’s contents.”

McDaniel said crews were working on removing the chemicals from the building, away from the water source. Once the product is in place, the situation will be assessed and officials will notify residents if it is safe to return home, he said.

Content of the article