A massive fire at a chemical laboratory in Conyers, Georgia, has forced thousands of residents to evacuate and prompted a shelter-in-place order for others on Sunday, as authorities battle to contain the blaze amid hazardous smoke.
The fire broke out at BioLab, a facility that manufactures pool and spa treatment products, on Old Covington Highway around 5 a.m. EST, according to the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office. The incident reportedly began when a malfunctioning sprinkler system sprayed water on a reactive chemical, causing an explosion.
“It’s burning pretty good. We’re trying to get that under control, but at the same time we’re also trying to get the traffic under control,” said Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett.
Authorities have issued an evacuation order for the area between Sigman Road and I-20. The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency has implemented a shelter-in-place order for residents in the north half of the county.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel warned of the situation’s volatility: “Any event, the wind shift, this thing can change really quickly. But once again, shelter in place, windows and doors closed.”
The fire has caused significant disruptions, with Interstate 20 closed in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill. Local church services have been advised to cancel or end immediately. Several evacuation sites have been established, including JP Carr Gym and Scout Camp in Covington.
Meteorologist Brad Nitz reported that the fire is being detected on Smoketracker, with southwest winds blowing smoke into neighboring Walton County.
BioLab representatives stated that all employees are accounted for with no injuries reported. “Our team is on the scene, working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation,” a company spokesperson said.
