Atlanta residents report chlorine smell and fog after Georgia biolab plant fire
Residents in the Atlanta area have reported strong chlorine smells after a fire at a chemical plant 25 miles away caused a toxic reaction.
The city of Conyers was evacuated and a shelter in place was expanded for all of Rockdale County on Monday after a fire at BioLab sent a huge plume of dark smoke high into the sky.
While there are no advisories for Atlanta, social media users in the area say the air smells of chlorine in Fulton County, about a 40-minute drive from Conyers.
Residents also say the air is filled with fog, and some report feeling discomfort in their eyes, nose and throat, prompting firefighters to use detectors to monitor air quality in different parts of the city.
“This cloud has just settled over all of South Gwinnett. It was literally clear 15 minutes ago,” said a local resident who shared a photo. ‘Picture of my garden and that is not normal fog. It smells like chlorine.’
A social media user shared the above image, saying it was taken an hour’s drive from Conyers this morning. “It smells like pure chlorine,” they said
A second X user said: “Very alarming scene as I drove onto I-20 E this morning. widespread haze as far as the eye can see. I am now in small five points and all you can taste and smell is chlorine. it’s thick and overwhelming. mask on. stay inside.’
“It feels like things are happening at the end of the world,” said a third X user. “The Conyers biochemical plant explosion blanketed much of Atlanta. I can smell chlorine in the air in John’s Creek and a lot of people are wearing masks these days.”
Another added, “The Old Fourth Ward at Ponce City Market smells like an indoor pool.”
Emergency officials in Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta, said people concerned about the haze or odor should stay indoors, close their windows and doors and turn off air conditioning.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said his office is aware of reports of a toxic odor.
“Atlanta Fire Rescue is taking detectors to different places in the east to see what’s in the air,” Dickens said on X.
‘The assumption is that a change in wind direction will blow some of the Conyers fire debris in our direction. We will send out messages as we get more information.”
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s Emergency Management said on X, “We are investigating numerous reports of a haze and strong chemical odor in Fulton County. We are investigating and will pass on any information we receive. If you are concerned, STAY INDOORS, CLOSE windows and doors, TURN OFF air conditioning and other ventilation systems.
‘We believe it is related to the BioLab fire, but we are trying to determine why we are seeing the change in conditions. The latest plume models indicate that the plume is moving northeast, which is clearly not the case.’
A resident of Chamblee, 30 miles from Conyers, shared the above image. They said, ‘It smells like chlorine outside and this is Chamblee this morning. Does anyone else smell it outside?’
“This cloud has just settled over all of South Gwinnett. It was literally clear 15 minutes ago,” said one local
The fire was under control around 4 p.m. Sunday, officials said
Several Atlanta counties have canceled outdoor activities due to air cleanliness concerns.
“Until air quality improves, we encourage all families and staff to limit time outside and keep windows and doors closed,” a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County School system said.
Closer to the source of the fire, officials said chlorine, a harmful irritant, was found in the air as a result of the fire at the BioLab plant, Rockdale County government said in a statement early Monday.
“For anyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn off air conditioning and keep windows and doors closed,” the statement said.
BioLab released a statement on Monday about the aftermath of the fire.
“Our top priority is ensuring the safety of the community, and our teams are working around the clock to respond to the ongoing situation at our Conyers, Georgia facility,” the company said.
“We continue to work with first responders and local authorities and have deployed specialized teams from out of state to the site to strengthen and support their efforts. We are all focused on restoring the situation as quickly as possible.”
The fire was under control around 4 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
Interstate 20, which was closed in both directions in the area on Sunday, reopened Monday morning, officials said. Some other roads in the provincial and provincial government offices were closed.
People in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were ordered to evacuate Sunday, and others were told to shelter in place.
The fire started when a sprinkler head malfunctioned at the BioLab plant in Conyers around 5 a.m. Sunday, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters. The disturbance caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical, creating a plume of chemicals.
McDaniel said there were workers at the plant, but no injuries were reported.