Chemical Fire Pollutes Georgia Air

If you live in or around the Atlanta metropolitan area, there’s a chance you’ve noticed a strange smell in the air.

Well, according to public health officials, the unfamiliar odor is the result of an industrial plant fire that erupted over the weekend, causing a massive plume of dark smoke containing chlorine to enter the atmosphere, and now tens of thousands of Georgia residents are being warned to stay indoors with their windows closed as harmful chemicals continue to linger in the air.

CNN reported Monday that some 17,000 people were ordered to evacuate the area where a fire broke out at the BioLab plant in Conyers Sunday morning. Now, a shelter-in-place advisory is still in effect for around 90,000 people in the surrounding area of Rockdale County.

From CNN:

The plume from the chemical reaction that followed the outbreak of the fire could be seen for miles – and officials on Monday were cautioning those still in the area to stay indoors with their windows closed and air conditioners off. BioLab manufacturers pool and spa treatment products.

Air quality surveys conducted by state and federal agencies “revealed the harmful irritant chlorine” coming from the facility, county officials said in a news release Monday morning. Exposure to chlorine can cause burning of the eyes, nose and mouth, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also lead to coughing, choking, nausea, vomiting, headache and dizziness.

While the facility remains closed and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to monitor air quality for chlorine, Georgia officials have declared a local area emergency. Residents in nearby counties, including Fulton County, Gwinnett County and Dekalb County, have also reported the smell of bleach and other chemicals in the air as well as a visible haze that can be seen for miles.

“I used to work at a water park, and it felt like walking into a pool house,” Suwanee resident Arynne Johnson told the Associated Press of the foggy air that “slapped you in the face” in the area Northeast of Atlanta where she regularly walks her dogs.

Here’s how the fire started, according to AP:

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, producing a plume of chemicals.

McDaniel said there were employees inside the plant, but no injuries have been reported, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The fire was brought under control around 4 p.m. Sunday, officials said.

BioLab’s website says it is the swimming pool and spa water care division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products.

Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, told CNN that the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency have responded to the incident and that the “governor is receiving regular updates from local, state, and federal partners and wants to thank the hardworking responders who are prioritizing this incident in addition to the ongoing storm recovery efforts.”

Be safe out there, Georgians. If at all possible, stay home until the air is clear and safe to breathe again.