Atlanta residents report chlorine smell and fog after Georgia biolab plant fire

Residents of the Atlanta area have reported a strong smell of chlorine after a fire at a chemical plant caused a toxic reaction 25 miles away.

The city of Conyers has been evacuated and a a shelter in place order was extended on Monday for all of Rockdale County after a fire at BioLab sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky.

While there have been no advisories for Atlanta, social media users in the area say the air smells like chlorine in Fulton County, which is about a 40-minute drive from Conyers. 

Residents also say the air is filled with fog, with some reporting feeling discomfort in their eyes, noses and throats - prompting firefighters to use detectors to check the quality of air in various parts of the city.

'This cloud just settled all over South Gwinnett. It was literally clear 15 minutes ago,' said one local who shared a photo. 'Picture of my yard and that ain't normal fog. It smells like chlorine.'

A second X user said: 'very alarming scene pulling onto I-20 E this morning. widespread haze as far as the eye can see. i am now in little five points and you can only taste and smell chlorine. it’s thick and overwhelming. mask up. stay indoors.'

'Feels like end of world stuff going on,' said a third X user. 'The biochemical plant explosion in Conyers has blanketed a lot of Atlanta. I smell chlorine in air in John’s Creek and a lot of people wearing masks today.'

Another added: 'The Old Fourth Ward at Ponce City Market smells like an indoor pool.'

Emergency management officials in Fulton County, which encompasses much of Atlanta, said people with concerns about the haze or smell should stay indoors, close their windows and doors and turn off the air conditioning. 

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said his office is aware of the reports of a toxic smell.

'Atlanta Fire Rescue is going out with detectors to various spots east to see what is in the air,' Dickens said on X. 

'The assumption is a change of the wind direction blowing some of the Conyers fire residuals our way. We will push out messaging as we get more info.'

Meanwhile Atlanta's Emergency Management said on X: 'We are investigating the numerous reports of a haze and strong chemical smell across Fulton County. We are investigating and will pass along any and all information we receive. If you have concerns, STAY INSIDE, CLOSE windows and doors, TURN OFF A/C & other ventilation system.

'We do believe it's related to the BioLab fire, but why we are seeing the change in conditions is what we are attempting to figure out. Latest plume modeling indicates it moving to the northeast, which it is clearly not.'

Multiple Atlanta counties cancelled outdoor activities over concerns about air purity. 

'Until the air quality improves, we encourage all families and staff to limit time outside, and keep windows and doors shut,' said a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County School system.

Closer to the source of the fire, officials said chlorine, a harmful irritant, had been detected in the air from the fire at the BioLab plant, the Rockdale County government said in statement early Monday. 

'For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,' the statement said. 

BioLab released a statement addressing the fire's aftermath on Monday.

'Our top priority is ensuring the community’s safety, and our teams are working around-the-clock to respond to the ongoing situation at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,' the company said.

'We continue to work collaboratively with first responders and local authorities and have deployed specialized teams from out of state to the site to bolster and support their efforts. We are all focused on remediating the situation as rapidly as possible.'

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

Interstate 20, which was shut down in both directions in the area Sunday, was reopened Monday morning, officials said. Some other roads in the county and county government offices were closed.

People in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were ordered to evacuate on Sunday, and others were told to shelter in place.

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.