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2 months ago
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Thousands of people are under a shelter in place order after a major fire broke out at a chemical lab in Georgia.
The footage shows massive clouds of smoke saturating the sky in Conyers, Georgia, after a fire ignited at BioLab on Old Covington Highway on Sunday, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office said.
Around 5am, a sprinkler at the facility malfunctioned and sprayed water on a chemical that sparked an explosion, Atlanta News First reported.
The reaction led to a large, hazardous smoke cloud of smoke that began drifting to the northeast and prompted an evacuation.
This puts added pressure on Georgia's emergency services as Hurricane Helene swept through the state.
A fire ignited at BioLab on Old Covington Highway in Georgia on Sunday
🚨#BREAKING: Shelter-in-Place and Evacuations Ordered Due to Biolab Chemical Plant Fire releasing massive amounts toxic smoke
Currently, a shelter-in-place order and evacuations are underway as numerous hazmat crews and other emergency services respond to… pic.twitter.com/zvDpvnYIrv
The malfunction also caused a small fire on the roof of the building, but was contained before reigniting again.
There is an evacuation order in effect for anyone between Sigman Road and I-20, county officials said.
Officials stated that anyone in this radius needs to leave the area immediately.
'I want to strongly ask all of you to please spread the word to stay away from this area at this point,' Rockdale County Sheriff, Eric Levett, said.
'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.'
Roads are closed in the area of the blaze with officials blocking off Interstate 20 in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill.
A shelter-in-place order has been put in effect for residents in the north half of the county by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
BioLab is a manufacturer of pool and spa treatment products, according to CNN.
The lab experienced a 'thermal decomposition event' that led to a fire in September of 2020.
The building's warehouse was damaged after strong winds from Hurricane Laura allowed rainwater into the building, which is what started the previous fire, the US Chemical Safety Board found.
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