Georgia officials are sounding alarm bells this week as smoke from a chemical fire inches closer to Atlanta. Residents near the BioLab plant in Conyers are being urged to stay indoors from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night until Friday due to potential air quality hazards following the fire that erupted earlier this week.
The fire released a significant amount of orange and black smoke into the atmosphere, raising concerns about visibility for those traveling on Interstate 20, particularly in the area between mile markers 78 and 82. The Georgia Department of Transportation has recommended that drivers keep their windows closed while traveling through these impacted zones.
It’s not just Conyers that’s feeling the effects; residents in Atlanta and surrounding suburbs—around 25 miles from the fire—have reported a strong chemical smell and a persistent hazy sky. Wind shifts predicted for Wednesday evening could push the smoke directly toward Atlanta, prompting further concerns.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency advised that those in metro Atlanta might wake up on Thursday to a visible haze and a notable chlorine smell. Moreover, monitoring efforts indicated that chlorine levels near the facility have exceeded safe action levels.
While the fire was contained by Sunday afternoon, the materials in the BioLab plant have continued to smolder, perpetuating smoke and chemical threats. Federal investigators are looking into the cause of the blaze, which also activated the plant’s sprinkler system, unfortunately spraying water on chemicals that react adversely to it.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported to the employees present during the incident. BioLab’s Conyers facility has a history of chemical fires, including a notable one in September 2020 that resulted in the hospitalization of several firefighters.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.