Atlanta residents evacuate due to a chemical plant fire

Some residents east of Atlanta, in the U.S. state of Georgia, were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place on Sunday to avoid contaminants from a chemical plant fire that sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky that could be seen from miles away, according to an AP report.

Interstate 20 was shut down in both directions in the area, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a post on X. Reports said traffic was snarled as vehicles backed up in the area after the closure.

The fire ignited when a sprinkler head malfunctioned around 5 a.m. on 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 at this time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reported.

The paper said the billowing cloud of smoke was visible on Sunday afternoon as far as 30 miles away at Atlanta's international airport south of the city. It added no injuries were immediately reported.

"Once we can get that chemical out of the building and allow it to burn off, we'll be in a much better shape," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said she wasn't sure what chemicals may have been contained in the plume.

A small fire on the plant's roof was initially contained, but reignited Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Eric Levett said in a video posted on Facebook as gray smoke spewed into the sky behind him. He said authorities were trying to get the fire under control 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 and others were told to shelter in place with windows and doors closed. Sheriff's office spokesperson Christine Nesbitt did not know the number of people evacuated, although it covered a large portion of the community of Conyers.

(With input from AP)