In Gwinnett, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recommending anyone in the direct plume to stay inside but has not recommended a shelter-in-place order for the county.
What caused the fire?
It is unclear yet what sparked the fire, which started on the facility’s roof sometime Sunday morning. It was initially extinguished but reignited later that afternoon, triggering the building’s sprinkler system, which then caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical.
Workers had already been trying to move the chemical away from the water source, but weren’t able to finish doing so by the time the sprinkler system was activated.
The flames were brought under control by 4 p.m. EST, and the plant’s roof and walls have since collapsed. No injuries were reported, though some employees were inside the plant at the time.
According to the company’s website, BioLab “is the swimming pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products.” That company is based in nearby Lawrenceville.
Has this happened before?
Rockdale County fire Chief Marian McDaniel said it was the third such incident of “this magnitude” at the plant in at least seven years.
