Chlorine-tinged cloud of smoke forces evacuations east of Atlanta
FOX NEWS ALERT!
MASSIVE FIRE AT CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE IN CONYERS GEORGIA.
Fire Breaks Out at Ga. Chemical Warehouse
Large Fire Breaks Out at Chemical Warehouse in Atlanta Suburb, Forcing Hundreds to Evacuate
The Associated Press
CONYERS, Ga. May 25, 2004 — A huge fire broke out in a chemical warehouse Tuesday morning, setting off multiple explosions and prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate.
The fire in the warehouse owned by Biolab, which makes chemicals for pools and cleaning products, was reported about 5 a.m. Multiple explosions could be seen and heard as the fire spread through the warehouse.
The plumes of gray, green and white smoke prompted evacuations of homes and businesses within a one-mile radius in Conyers, an east Atlanta suburb of about 10,000. Sheriff's department spokeswoman Jodi Shupe said she did not have exact figures on how many people were evacuated, but said the number was in the hundreds.
A hospital reported treating at least two people who were having trouble breathing or suffering from irritation from the chemicals, she said.
The fire was confined to the warehouse, officials said. It was not immediately clear how it started or what chemicals were burning, although authorities said chlorine was one of the chemicals involved.
Chlorine is an irritant, and is "certainly dangerous to people with respiratory conditions in particular," said Buzz Weiss, spokesman of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
The fire slowed the morning commute into Atlanta. Several roads around the BioLab plant were closed for at least two hours. Interstate 20, a main thoroughfare into Atlanta, was also closed during rush hour as smoke cut the visibility.
The Covington Municipal Airport, about 10 miles from Conyers, also was evacuated at around 7:30 a.m. Two schools in Conyers were set up as temporary shelters.
Chlorine-tinged cloud of smoke forces evacuations east of Atlanta