Large chemical fire at Georgia facility; nearly 17,000 people in evacuation zone | What we know

CONYERS, Ga. — UPDATE: This story will continue to update Tuesday, but you can also find a new blog with live updates by clicking this link.

Original story below

A chemical cloud has been emanating from Conyers since Sunday, when a fire broke out at the facility of a company that makes pool and spa treatments and sprinkler system water reacted with chemicals on site. The city of Conyers was evacuated, the wider Rockdale County was put under shelter-in-place guidance and surrounding counties for a time reported the smell of chlorine and a haze in areas.

In a Monday evening update, Rockdale County lifted its shelter-in-place and evacuator orders for all residents and the City of Conyers said residents could return, after nearly the entire city had been put in an evacuation zone, with EPA readings finding "everything is well below contamination level."

Early Tuesday morning around 4 a.m., however, Rockdale County altered the guidance and said the plume is "banking down and moving throughout the county" due to the weather. "If the cloud moves over your vicinity, please shelter in place until the cloud moves out," the county said.

RELATED: 'I was very, very startled' | Resident describes early morning wake-up from police, evacuation over Conyers chemical fire

BioLab is a company that makes pool and spa treatments, and in the initial incident on Sunday the chemicals involved in that process appeared to exacerbate the fire and send up huge smoke clouds. The fire later reignited around noon, according to authorities, and was put out around 3:30-4 p.m.

Two days later, a plume continued to rise from the site because of water -- which came from sprinklers when the fire first sparked around 5 a.m. Sunday -- reacting with chemicals at the site. Crews have been working to remove those chemicals.

In a statement, a spokesperson for BioLab said representatives are "actively responding" to the situation. The spokesperson said employees "are accounted for with no injuries reported." BioLab said it has a 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," the statement read.

Here's the latest on what we know about the situation:

Conyers, Georgia BioLab chemical fire | What we know

• Status of removal operations: Crews have been working to remove the chemicals. Operations have continued into the overnight hours of Tuesday morning, according to the Rockdale County update at 4 a.m.
• Latest shelter-in-place guidance: Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency first said Monday night it was lifting its shelter-in-place recommendation and the evacuation zone for those who were impacted by the Conyers BioLab chemical fire. However that guidance changed early Tuesday morning, when the county said the plume is "banking down and moving throughout the county" due to the weather. "If the cloud moves over your vicinity, please shelter in place until the cloud moves out," the county said. 
• Testing revealed chlorine in the air: This is according to a release by Rockdale County early Monday morning, saying the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state Environmental Protection Division (EPD) "revealed the harmful irritant chlorine, which was detected in the air emitting from the incident location of BioLab." In an update, the EPA said at this time, data suggests that the levels of chlorine in the air are unlikely to cause harm to most people, but monitoring is ongoing. Officials explained that chlorine has a "low odor threshold," meaning people may smell it at levels that may not be harmful to most people.  However, if you have symptoms that may be related – such as nose, throat or eye irritation, or difficulty breathing – call your health provider or the Georgia Poison Center at 1-877-664-3090.
• What testing found: In the past 24 hours, readings from the EPA show that all average level readings are at .09, which is well below the action level of .5, according to a press release by Rockdale County. The water is also deemed safe in Rockdale County. The EPA said they will continue to monitor air readings.
• Should residents turn off their air conditioner?: The EPA explained that having your AC running could increase air infiltration, meaning if you have a door or window draft, you could be bringing in air from outside.
• Other counties reporting smell & haze: On Monday, several surrounding counties - including Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton - said they would conduct air tests after residents reported chlorine smells and haze in their areas. Some school districts canceled or limited outdoor activities. Gwinnett and the City of Atlanta both reported testing indicated chemical levels were not posing serious health risks.
• Newton County Schools closed: Newton County is directly southeast of Rockdale and has closed for a second day, Tuesday, due to the situation. The district said it anticipates a full return for Wednesday. The schools in Rockdale County were on fall break starting Monday. Georgia Piedmont Technical College campuses were also closed, but are reopening Tuesday.
• Government office closures: All government facilities in the county were closed Monday. No updated status has been given for Tuesday. 
• Shelter locations for those affected:
  • The Rockdale County Government posted about shelter locations. Below is a list:
    • 2484 Bruce St. Lithonia, 30058
    • 218 Scout Road, Covington, 30016 
    • 3375 E Fairview Road SW, Stockbridge, 30281  
  • DeKalb County has opened a recreation center to assist residents displaced. 
    • The American Red Cross will accept evacuees at Lucious Sanders Recreation Center, 2484 Bruce Street, Lithonia, beginning at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. 
    • DeKalb County Emergency Management has provided 200 cots. 
• A large portion of the city of Conyers was in the evacuation zone: Everything between Sigman Road and I-20 was inside the initial evacuation zone.
• Injuries: So far, none have been reported according to county officials.
• How long will the plume be in the air?: Fire officials said it could last several days and referenced a similar 2004 incident that took several days to clear.
• How many people are impacted?: The county's emergency management director said 17,000 people were part of the evacuation when it was put into place.
• Hospital situation: Officials said Piedmont Rockdale Hospital had evacuated some patients and that the hospital was on diversion Sunday. They asked anyone with an emergency situation to go to a hospital in a neighboring county. 
• Interstate closure: I-20 was closed but reopened early Monday morning.
• EMA hotline: Those in need of assistance are asked to call 770-278-8300.
• BioLab is a maker of spa and pool treatments: The company is based in Lawrenceville and makes products including BioGuard and SpaGuard for pool and spa care. It is not clear specifically what chemicals might be getting expelled into the air as part of the fire.
• What happened: County officials said that around 5 a.m., a sprinkler head malfunctioned, causing a mixture with a "water-reactive chemical," which in turn started a small fire on the building's roof. That fire has since been contained and put out. Rockdale officials stated this is the third incident at the facility in seven years involving products mixing with water and causing a chemical reaction.
• What happened in 2004?: According to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency page, a fire at the same facility caused an evacuation one mile downwind and shut down I-20 for several hours. "The effect of the plume was felt more than 50 miles away," the pages says. The fire was put out the next morning. CNN reported at the time that 28 people were admitted to two hospitals, but none were seriously injured. According to a United Pres International report, residents were able to return home the next day. Pool And Spa News reported in 2011 a $7 million settlement for a lawsuit on the incident.