Georgia officials\u00a0are asking some residents to evacuate after a fire at a chemical plant started\u00a0spreading toxic smoke\u00a0on Sunday.<\/b>
\nGeorgia officials are asking some residents to evacuate after a fire at a chemical plant started spreading toxic smoke on Sunday.
The fire began at the BioLab plant in Conyers \u2013 which is located around 32 miles southeast of Atlanta \u2013 at 5 a.m. on Sunday, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. BioLab is a company that produces pool chemicals, according to its website.
BioLab told Fox News Digital that they are \u201cactively responding\u201d to the incident.
\u201cOur employees are accounted for with no injuries reported,\u201d a spokesperson said. \u201cOur team is on the 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.\u201d
By the afternoon, the smoke clouds were emanating from the facility and huge billows of multicolored clouds still polluted the air.
During a press conference on Sunday morning, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said that a sprinkler head at the facility malfunctioned and \u201ccaus[ed] a mixture with a water reactive chemical.\u201d
Social media video of the fire shows gigantic clouds of smoke visible from I-20, which had been blocked off between Salem Road and Turner Hill on Sunday afternoon.
Authorities say that those who live south of I-20 are safe, but those who live north of I-20 or between I-20 and Sigman Road are asked to evacuate.
\u201cPlease evacuate the area if you are inside this zone,\u201d Rockdale County officials said in a Facebook post. \u201cI-20 will be blocked off in both directions between Salem Rd and Turner Hill.\u201d
During a Sunday press conference, Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett told residents that \u201cthis is not the time to do any type of sightseeing.\u201d
\u201cWe are strongly encouraging everyone, no matter where you\u2019re coming from, but especially Rockdale residents, to stay out of this area for the safety of yourself, and for the safety of all personnel that are out here already that have to work this type of incident,\u201d the official advised.
The Rockdale County Animal Services asked residents within the evacuation area to bring their animals along with them.
\u201cPlease, if you\u2019re in the evacuation area, take your pets with you. Please do not leave them behind,\u201d the organization said. \u201cWe are loaded and getting the 50+ shelter animals out of the area and to safety.\u201d
Fox News Digital reached out to the Rockdale County Sheriff\u2019s Office for additional information.<\/p>\n