ATLANTA — Federal investigators have provided new insights regarding the fire incidents that occurred at the BioLab chemical plant located near Atlanta, which generated a toxic cloud of chemicals and prompted nearby residents to remain indoors for safety.
The fires ignited on September 29 at the BioLab facility in Conyers, producing a substantial cloud of orange and black smoke that ascended into the atmosphere. An update on the investigation was released Friday by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
BioLab specializes in manufacturing chemicals designed to eliminate algae and bacteria in water, mainly for use in swimming pools and hot tubs. The company is part of KIK Consumer Products, which is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
According to the report, an employee responsible for fire watch duties at the Plant 12 storage warehouse reported noticing a “popping sound” as they exited a break room to perform a routine check around 5 a.m. Upon inspection, the employee found some products, which are reactive to water, were wet. This led them to alert the only other staff member present at the location.
Although there were no visible flames initially, the fire watch employee attempted to contain the situation but had to call 911 at approximately 5:10 a.m. due to the formation of “large toxic vapor plumes” within the building. By around 6:30 a.m., flames became visible through the roof in the area where the unusual chemical interaction was first detected. An early shelter-in-place directive was initiated around 7:40 a.m., and the fire was ultimately extinguished by Rockdale County firefighters about half an hour later.
Later in the day, a second fire erupted around noon, producing a significant amount of “thick black smoke,” followed by various colored plumes. Evacuations in the surrounding community commenced around 12:30 p.m., and the fire chief reported that the blaze was fully under control by 4 p.m.
During the fire, certain sections of the structure where the initial chemical reaction occurred collapsed, leading to the complete destruction of the Plant 12 building. This warehouse was expansive, covering an area greater than five football fields, and remained an “active emergency response site” for nearly four weeks according to the report.
The Plant 12 facility served as a bulk storage area that was partitioned from the main storage site by a firewall and fire shutters. BioLab informed federal investigators that they had implemented a permanent fire watch about two to three months before the incident due to the detection of strong odors from oxidizers in two of their storage buildings, including Plant 12.
Additionally, Interstate 20, running adjacent to the facility, was closed shortly after the structure collapsed around 1 p.m., remaining shut until approximately 7 a.m. the following day. Minor roads near the site were also closed, and the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency issued shelter-in-place alerts within a two-mile radius that persisted for several weeks, with the final order being lifted on October 17.
Smoke from the incident drifted toward Atlanta, resulting in a noticeable smog that carried a chlorine-like odor over parts of the city and surrounding regions.
In the aftermath of these events, over a dozen lawsuits have been initiated related to the fire and its consequences.