A fire at a chemical plant in Conyers, Georgia, on Sunday caused residents to evacuate or shelter in place in an effort to avoid exposure to a chemical plume.
In this image taken from video from WSB-TV, smoke rises from the roof of a BioLab plant, Sunday, ... [+]
An update posted to the Rockdale County website stated a sprinkler head malfunctioned and water came in contact with a water-reactive chemical, producing the plume and a small roof fire.
Residents in northern Rockdale County, Georgia, were being asked to shelter in place or evacuate, though a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told the Associated Press she was not sure of the number of people evacuated.
An evacuation center was opened at Wolverine Gym in Covington, Georgia, officials said in a post on Facebook, and Levett was encouraging people to stay away from the area of the fire.
Interstate 20 was closed in both directions for about five miles as of 3 p.m. EDT, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Gwinnett, Newton, & Rockdale County Health Departments encouraged people to “remain indoors, turn off air conditioning units, and keep windows closed until instructed otherwise” to minimize exposure to potential hazards.
Forbes has reached out to the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
“If you choose not to evacuate, please do not get out and ride around and just take videos of what's going on,” said Conyers Mayor Vince Evans. “Either leave or stay, but don't be wandering out in the city.”
Conyers, Georgia, is about 32 miles east of Atlanta. BioLab is described as a manufacturer of pool and spa treatment products, CNN reported.