While responders from all over the country converge on the Southeast and Tennessee Valley area, the standard array of 911 calls and responses continue to pour in throughout the country. One that raises significant concerns is Sunday’s BioLab manufacturing facility fire in Conyers, Georgia.
The facility, which is reported to manufacture products for swimming pools (e.g., chlorine pellets), has been spewing toxic smoke, now stretching for miles, and threatening to contaminate a large area around and along Interstate 20 about 24 miles east of Atlanta.
Evacuations were ordered for 17,000 residents, and all 93,000 Rockland County residents were given shelter-in-place orders. Interstate 20 was closed in both directions, reopening at approximately 7 a.m. Monday. Shelter-in-place orders remained in effect Monday. Some shelters had to be relocated after the shifting smoke plume threatened air quality further south.
What happened
Firefighters were first called to the facility around 5:30 a.m. Sunday for what was described as a “small fire on the roof.” That fire was contained and believed to be extinguished; however, firefighters were called back by early afternoon to the more dramatic scenes we’ve all seen in the news over the past 24-plus hours.
While reports have circulated widely that the original fire was ignited after water from a malfunctioning sprinkler head came in contact with water reactive materials inside the facility, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel stated during a news conference on Sunday that it is unclear what started the fire. She was able to report that the fire reignited around noon as crews were “off-loading product” (believe to be water-reactive materials) from the area. The second fire was ultimately brought under control around 4 p.m. Sunday. The roof and walls of the plant have since collapsed, and large plumes of the water-reactive process continue to emit from the building.
The building was occupied at the time of the fire, and as of this writing, no injuries have been reported.
Why it’s important
Let’s call it “Hazmat 101” – we all know that chlorine is water-reactive. Chlorine passing through water produces hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid. Handled in small quantities and through proper processes, the chlorine is used to help kill bacteria in water – think drinking water and swimming pools.
Chlorine is a toxic and non-flammable gas that’s heavier than air. Being heavier than air is particularly problematic, as the plumes emanating from the facility eventually cool, allowing toxic gases to fall from the sky over populated areas.
This isn’t the first fire at this facility. There were what I’ll call “significant chemical events” at this facility in 2020 and previously in 2004. The most recent incident coming on the heels of Hurricane Helene adds to the trauma residents across the Southeast are currently experiencing.
What’s next
Once the reactive products can be separated from water, the reaction will cease – this isn’t something that will happen fast and must not happen with any careless abandon to get people back in their homes. The fire chief reported that the previous events’ plumes lingered for days, and there is no expectation that this plume will not last for quite some time.
With the roof and walls collapsed, this will be a long and strenuous process. Residents will have to heed the orders through Emergency Management, the Sheriff’s Department and the fire department as crews work to stabilize the situation and separate the materials.
There will undoubtedly be extensive investigations and after-action reviews on this incident. This is one of those incidents where lessons learned must be heeded and recommendations for improvement acted upon expeditiously.
