Displaying items by tag: atlanta air quality fire
As focus was on Helene, a fire spewed toxic chemical plumes across metro Atlanta
Toxic smoke from the Sept. 30 BioLab fire pours across Interstate 20 just east of Atlanta, shutting down the vital artery for hours and complicating evacuation efforts during the chemical fire. YouTube
Fourth chemical fire at pool-chemical plant since 2004 prompts widespread evacuations
ATLANTA — The eastern side of the Atlanta metropolitan area was blanketed the morning of Sept. 30 with a fog of smoke and chlorine-scented gases, surprising residents already rattled by Hurricane Helene and an unrelated failure at the Adamsville Pumping Station.
The heavy, blue-green mist was coming from BioLab, a pool chemical manufacturing facility in Rockdale County, 23 miles southeast of downtown.
City officials were taken by surprise. This was at least the fourth time BioLab had caught fire since 2004, but prevailing winds usually carry the toxic plume across rural counties and into the Georgia mountains. Hurricane Helene had scrambled wind patterns, however, and pushed it into wealthy, suburban DeKalb and Gwinnet counties and parts of Fulton County.
Rockdale County had begun evacuating 19,000 Conyers residents early Sunday morning, when the fire began. Another 90,000 residents were told to shelter in place, with windows sealed shut and ventilation systems turned off.
The fire itself was extinguished by late afternoon, but the sprinkler system had soaked mountains of reactive pool and spa chemicals with water. The resulting plumes of chlorine, particulates and other chemicals spread across Rockdale, prompting the county to close schools and businesses for the following day.