Fire at Georgia chemical facility prompts evacuations, shelter-in-place

CONYERS, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) – A fire at a chemical facility in Georgia has many nearby residents ordered to evacuate and others to shelter in place.

Around 5 a.m., a sprinkler at a BioLab plant in Conyers, Georgia, malfunctioned and sprayed water onto a chemical, causing a reaction that created a large, dangerous plume, which then began to drifting northeast, according to Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel. .

The malfunction also caused a small fire on the roof of the BioLab, which was contained, McDaniel said.

The fire reignited later in the afternoon, causing a huge plume of smoke to billow from the factory. That fire triggered an evacuation order for anyone between I-20 and Sigman Road, according to Rockdale County officials.

Officials said I-20 was blocked in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill Road. The Georgia State Patrol was called to assist with traffic control.

Video shows a large, dangerous plume rising Sunday from a fire at the BioLab building in Conyers. (Source: WANF)

Rockdale County officials have requested assistance from other agencies, many of which are now deployed across the state of Georgia to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The Georgia Department of Transportation also reported a “major hazardous materials fire” on Dogwood Drive at Blacklawn Road near the BioLab Sunday afternoon.

Evacuation sites were set up in nearby Covington, Georgia, after the original evacuation site was also evacuated.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency has issued a shelter-in-place order on behalf of the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency for residents in the northern half of Rockdale County , above Sigman Road. These residents should stay indoors with windows and doors closed and should turn off their air conditioners.

County officials said Sunday afternoon that those who do not leave the evacuation zone should shelter in place. Authorities said anyone south of I-20 should be safe.

The county also called on all churches to cancel services today, for churches already in session to disperse immediately, and for attendees not to travel to affected areas.

The plant fire reignited as officials worked to remove the water-reactive chemical from the BioLab to stop any further reactions, which McDaniel said requires heavy equipment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting air monitoring to determine the nature of the chemical.

Smoke from a fire at the BioLab chemical plant is seen in a Conyers neighborhood Sunday. (Source: WANF)

County officials said employees were on scene at the time of the early morning incident, but no injuries were reported.

Officials said there is currently no timeline for ending the shelter-in-place order. The authorities do not currently have an estimate of the number of people evacuated.

BioLab is described on its website as a “pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia.”

“We are actively investigating an incident that occurred at our BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia. Our employees have been accounted for and no injuries have been reported. Our team is on site and working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation. As always, the safety of our community remains our top priority,” KIK Consumer Products said in a statement to WANF.

A fire broke out at the same location in 2004, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A similar incident reportedly occurred at the facility in 2020. According to the United States Chemical Safety Board, “thermal decomposition” of a chlorine-containing product occurred there on September 14, 2020.