Current:Home > ScamsResidents told to evacuate or take shelter after Georgia chemical fire -MoneyStream
Residents told to evacuate or take shelter after Georgia chemical fire
View
Date:2025-04-17 13:58:17
CONYERS, Ga. (AP) — Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place to avoid contact with a chemical plume after a fire at a chemical plant.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters that a sprinkler head malfunctioned around 5 a.m. Sunday at the BioLab plant in Conyers. That caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical, which produced a plume of chemicals. The chief said she wasn’t sure what chemicals were included.
There was a small fire on the roof, which was contained, McDaniel said.
“We don’t want fear. This is a well-handled incident,” McDaniel said. “We have this under control. We’re looking to get it even more under control, and we will be out here until the very end.”
People living close to the plant were told to evacuate and others in the affected area were told to shelter in place with windows and doors closed. Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Christine Nesbitt did not know the number of people evacuated.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division were both on site, county Emergency Management Director Sharon Webb said. The agencies are monitoring the air “to give us more of an idea of what the plume consists of.”
McDaniel said crews were working on removing the chemical from the building, away from the water source. Once the product is contained, the situation will be assessed and officials will let residents know whether it is safe to return to their homes, she said.
An evacuation center was opened at J.P. Carr gym in Conyers.
veryGood! (88575)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Austin police shoot and kill man trying to enter a bar with a gun
- Drummer Colin Burgess, founding member of AC/DC, dies at 77: 'Rock in peace'
- Giving gifts boosts happiness, research shows. So why do we feel frazzled?
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- How to manage holiday spending when you’re dealing with student loan debt
- Despite GOP pushback, Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery to be removed
- Horoscopes Today, December 17, 2023
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Bengals' Jake Browning admits extra motivation vs. Vikings: 'They never should've cut me'
Ranking
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Kishida says Japan is ready to lead Asia in achieving decarbonization and energy security
- February 2023 in photos: USA TODAY's most memorable images
- Charles M. Blow on reversing the Great Migration
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Authorities: 5 people including 3 young children die in house fire in northwestern Arizona
- February 2023 in photos: USA TODAY's most memorable images
- Jeff Roe, main strategist for DeSantis super PAC, resigns
Recommendation
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
16 killed in Christmas-season shootings in central Mexico state of Guanajuato
Author Masha Gessen receives German prize in scaled-down format after comparing Gaza to Nazi-era ghettos
'The Voice' Season 24 finale: Finalists, start time, how and where to watch
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Behind the ‘Maestro’ biopic are a raft of theater stars supporting the story of Leonard Bernstein
Nobody went to see the Panthers-Falcons game despite ridiculously cheap tickets
Taylor Swift’s Game Day Beanie Featured a Sweet Shoutout to Boyfriend Travis Kelce