ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Thousands of people needed to evacuate, and a shelter-in-place order is in place until midnight for Rockdale County after a chemical fire on Sunday, authorities said.
An evacuation zone was expanded after flames reignited again around noon at the BioLab facility on Old Covington Highway in Conyers, a little more than 20 miles east of Atlanta. Officials estimated that nearly 17,000 people were in the zone. The exact number of people who have evacuated is currently unknown. In a 7:45 p.m. update, government officials said the entire county is under a shelter-in-place order until midnight.
In a press conference, authorities said the fire is now out after crews spent hours battling it.
A plume of smoke continues to rise from the site because of water -- which came from sprinklers when the fire first sparked around 5 a.m. -- reacting with chemicals at the site. Crews are still working to remove those chemicals.
Meanwhile, multiple roads in Rockdale County remain closed due to the fire. The sheriff's office is encouraging folks to avoid the area and follow detour signs for getting around. Interstate 20 is also blocked off in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill, according to Rockdale officials.
As a precaution, residents are encouraged to remain indoors and keep windows closed to minimize exposure to potential hazards. Those dangerously close to the facility have been evacuated to JP Carr Gym on Hardin Street in Conyers. In addition, the Wolverine Gym on Geiger Street in Covington has also been established as an evacuation site for those affected.
Rockdale County authorities noted that those who live in the northern part of the county are being explicitly asked to stay in place. Those within the yellow circle pictured in the graphic below are being told to evacuate to a safe place. Meanwhile, those south of I-20 are expected to be fine, authorities stated in a Facebook post.
Officials are asking for patience as crews work and stressed that people should not venture out into the roads to see what's going on or spectate.
In a statement, a spokesperson for BioLab said representatives are "actively responding" to the situation. The spokesperson said employees "are accounted for with no injuries reported." BioLab said it has a team is on the scene, working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation.
"As always, the safety of our community remains our top priority," the statement read.
But community members shared their confusion and the frantic moments they were asked to evacuate. One resident 11Alive spoke to, who lives less than a mile from the facility, said she was asked to evacuate around 7 a.m. Sunday morning.
"I was startled, I was very, very startled," she told 11Alive's Cheryl Preheim. "They were banging very hard and loud, and they were screaming...They were just trying to wake everybody up in the neighborhood."
County officials said that around 5 a.m., a sprinkler head malfunctioned, causing a mixture with a "water-reactive chemical," which in turn started a small fire on the building's roof. That fire has since been contained and put out.
Right now, no injuries have been reported.
Rockdale officials stated this is the third incident at the facility in seven years involving products mixing with water and causing a chemical reaction.
Crews said they are working to remove the chemicals, though they noted that the process could take several hours. The EPA is also expected to be on-site to test the area's air quality.
Once those tests have been made, Rockdale authorities will notify residents when they can return to their homes.
Residents with further questions can visit rockdalecounty.gov or call the Rockdale County Emergency Management hotline at 770-278-8300.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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