Evacuation Ordered in Georgia City After BioLab Fire Sparks 'Unpredictable' Situation

A section of a Georgia town has been evacuated following a fire at a BioLab facility that released a significant cloud of smoke into the air.

The northern area of Conyers, a city with a population of 17,000, was evacuated, while the larger Rockdale County, home to around 100,000 residents, was advised to shelter in place, according to a report from WXIA-TV.

"In the best interest and safety of the public and all citizens, it is recommended that businesses close operations until shelter-in-place is lifted," officials from the county stated in a news release shared on Facebook. Local schools were also shut down on Monday as a precaution.

Air quality testing "identified the harmful irritant chlorine, which was detected in the air coming from the BioLab fire site."

The release further urged residents sheltering in place to "turn off air conditioning and keep windows and doors shut" to avoid exposure.

Authorities indicated that the smoke plume was on an "unpredictable path with shifting wind direction." Although Interstate 20 was briefly closed, it has since reopened.

Resident TJ Lamar recounted the sudden evacuation to WXIA-TV, saying, "We got woken up by the police knocking on the door at like 6 a.m." She recalled the officers telling them, “Y’all have got to go.”

Lamar, along with her four children, left their home with nothing more than her wallet and the clothes they were wearing. "My eyes were burning. You could smell the chlorine in the air," she added.

Michaela Edwards, who was in the shelter-in-place zone, described witnessing the dramatic scene unfold. "Oh my God, the sky is literally red. Something’s wrong. Of course, I freaked out inside," Edwards said. She quickly closed all the vents and turned off any air circulation systems.

"It was like a cartoon movie where an explosion happens, and you see multiple clouds piling up out of each other—that’s the best way I can describe it," Edwards said.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the smoke plume is expected to linger for several days.

This fire marks the third such incident in the past seven years. The blaze, which began early Sunday, was initially thought to be extinguished, but reignited later in the day.