Fire at Atlanta chemical plant forces evacuations

At around 5 a.m., a sprinkler head malfunctioned at the BioLab plant in Conyers, “causing a mixture with a water reactive chemical,” Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said, according to NBC News.

“There was a small fire on the roof, which has been contained, but at that time, right now, there are no other issues,” McDaniel said.

The fire department is working on removing the material from the building and the water source, McDaniel said at a press conference Sunday.

Officials did not say what kind of chemical was released, but advised people to shelter in place and said the situation could change quickly.

“We’ll tell people to shelter in place, keep your doors and windows closed,” McDaniel said. “Any event, the wind shift, this thing can change really quickly. But once again, shelter in place, windows and doors closed.”

Rockdale County officials told residents living between Sigman Road and Interstate 20 to evacuate Sunday morning. Those living north of Sigman Road were advised to shelter in place. Churches in the area were advised to cancel services.

It’s not clear if there are any injuries at the time when this report was being published.

MNA/PR