BioLab Blaze: Immense GA Fire Due To Stored Chemicals, Officals Say

CONYERS, GA — New details have been released regarding the massive blaze and subsequent "toxic smoke" that forced about 17,000 people surrounding the Conyers community to evacuate and about 90,000 people in metro Atlanta to shelter in place.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board on Friday released its preliminary findings on the chemical reaction and toxic gas release at the BioLab chemical plant on Sept. 29. Patch has obtained a copy of the eight-page report.

The CSB said the fire and smoke were a reaction to heat-generated materials that were being stored in a warehouse. The materials deteriorated, released toxic vapors and erupted fires.

Investigators identified the primary materials as trichloroisocyanuric acid and sodium dichloroisocyanurate, which are both used to disinfect swimming pools.

The fire sparked around 5:30 a.m. before reigniting around noon, setting free "harmful irritant chlorine" into the air and causing a stir in Rockdale County and neighboring counties.

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A BioLab staffer was working on fire watch around 5 a.m. in the Plant 12 storage warehouse, a non-combustible structure. The employee heard a popping sound, "which they attributed to (a) wet product," the CSB said. At the time, flames were not visible.

Workers tried to contain the product but were unsuccessful, the CSB said. About 10 minutes later, large and hazardous toxic plumes prompted workers to call 911, the CSB said.

By 6:30 a.m., visible flames ballooned above the area of the chemical reaction and were extinguished in less than two hours.

Then, around 12:30 p.m., first responders began evacuations, and a second larger fire ignited at the plant and was extinguished hours later by 4 p.m., the CSB said.

Chlorine and other hazardous substances filled the smoke plumes and "caused significant offsite impacts," the CSB said.

The Environmental Protection Agency advised elevated chlorine and hydrogen chloride levels were in the air from Sept. 30-Oct. 2, specifically at nighttime, the CSB said.

Not only were thousands of people ordered to evacuate, but the enormous incident prompted Interstate 20 near BioLab to close for about 18 hours and smaller roads to close for longer periods.

Shelter-in-place orders were in place for several weeks, and the warehouse was dismantled, the CSB said.

“This incident and the substantial potential risk that it posed to the surrounding community was completely unacceptable," CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said in a news release. "Reactive chemical incidents can have severe environmental and public safety impacts due to the combination of fire, toxic gas emissions and hazardous materials involved, and Bio-Lab and any other facility that has reactive chemicals onsite must manage those materials safely.”

The CSB said it will look further into the incident.

BioLab is a manufacturer of chlorinates that kill algae and bacteria in a vast amount of water, particularly in swimming pools and hot tubs, and converts raw materials and packages of finished recreational water-care products for sale, the CSB said.

“BioLab has a strong track record of working constructively with regulatory agencies and will continue to cooperate with the CSB’s investigation, which still remains ongoing," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

"Our top priority is and has always been the health and safety of the communities within which we operate, and we worked collaboratively with first responders and local, state and federal authorities to successfully remediate the situation at our Conyers warehouse storing chemicals that treat swimming pools and spas. We remain firmly committed to understanding the causes of the incident and to making things right for impacted area residents and business owners.”

Its facility in Conyers has been operating since 1973 and has gone through multiple owners, the CSB said.