A large fire broke out at the Bio-Lab facility in Conyers, Georgia in the US on 29 September. The incident forced the closure of nearby highways and the evacuation of around 17,000 people in the local area. Another 90,000 people east of Atlanta were also advised to shelter in place due to a significant plume of dark smoke from the fire.
According to local officials, the blaze broke out after a sprinkler head malfunctioned at around 05:00 causing water to mix with a water-reactive chemical. There were several employees inside the plant when the fire broke out, however no injuries were reported.
After initially bringing a fire under control, the local fire department said it later reignited and warned locals to stay away from the area as they attempted to bring it back under control. The plume of black smoke was visible from as far as 30 miles (50km) away.
Both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division attended the scene and conducted air monitoring in the days following the incident.
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) also sent investigators to the Bio-Lab facility. CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said: “We are sending investigators to the site to determine the cause of this dangerous incident and the safety gaps at the facility that allowed this huge fire to occur. Tens of thousands of people have been put potentially at risk by this catastrophe.”
