The highway outside Atlanta is closed due to a fire at a chemical plant

CONYERS, Ga. (AP) — Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were ordered to shelter in place Sunday to avoid contamination from a fire at a chemical plant that sent dark, gray smoke into the air.

Interstate 20 is closed in both directions in the area, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a post on X.

The fire ignited when a sprinkler head malfunctioned around 5 a.m. Sunday at the BioLab plant in Conyers, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters. The malfunction caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical, creating a chemical cloud. McDaniel said she wasn't sure what chemicals might be in the cloud.

BioLab's website says it is the pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia. An automated message to the phone number on the parent company's website said the call should be made during business hours.

“We are actively responding to an incident at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,” a BioLab representative said in a statement The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “No injuries were reported for our employees. Our team is on scene and working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation.”

A small fire on the roof of the facility was initially contained, but reignited Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Eric Levett said in a statement Video posted on Facebook as gray smoke rose into the sky behind him. He said authorities were trying to control the fire and urged people to stay away from the area.

People in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were ordered to evacuate, but others were told to shelter in place with windows and doors closed. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Christine Nesbitt did not know how many people were evacuated.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division were both on scene, said Sharon Webb, county emergency management director. Authorities are monitoring the air “to give us a better idea of ​​what the cloud is made of.”

McDaniel said crews were working to remove the chemical from the building, away from the water source. Once the product is contained, the situation will be assessed and officials will advise residents whether it is safe to return to their homes, she said.