Authorities in Georgia are asking some residents to evacuate after a fire broke out at a chemical plant on Sunday and toxic smoke began to spread.
The fire broke out at 5 a.m. Sunday at the BioLab plant in Conyers, about 52 miles southeast of Atlanta, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. According to the company's website, BioLab is a company that manufactures pool chemicals.
BioLab told Fox News Digital that it is “actively responding” to the incident.
“There are no reports of injuries to our employees and they are receiving treatment safely,” the spokesperson said. “Our teams are on 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.”
By the afternoon, clouds of smoke were rising from the facility, and huge, multicolored clouds still polluted the air.
At a news conference Sunday morning, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said a sprinkler head at the facility failed, “causing the fire.”[ed] It is a mixture with water-reactive chemicals. ”
Social media videos of the fire show a huge cloud of smoke visible from Interstate 20, which was closed between Salem Road and Turner Hill Sunday afternoon.
Officials say people living south of I-20 are safe, but people living north of I-20 or between I-20 and Sigman Avenue should evacuate. He says he is looking for it.
“If you are in this area, please evacuate the area,” Rockdale County officials said in a Facebook post. “Interstate 20 will be closed in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill.”
At a press conference Sunday, Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett told residents that “now is not the time for any kind of tourism.”
“We urge residents of Rockdale in particular, regardless of where they come from, to stay away from this area for your own safety and the safety of all the personnel who already have to work here. “It's a kind of incident,'' the official advised.
Rockdale County Animal Services urged residents in the evacuation zone to bring their animals with them.
“If you are in a shelter, please bring your pets with you. Don't leave them behind,” the group said. “We are loaded and moving over 50 rescue animals from the area to safety.”
Fox News Digital has contacted the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office for additional information.
Fox News Digital's Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.
