Some residents in Conyers, Georgia, have received orders to evacuate, while others have been told to shelter-in-place, following a fire at a chemical plant.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said on Sunday that the fire was caused by a water-reactive chemical and a sprinkler malfunction.
“What we know is about 5 o’clock this morning, a sprinkler head malfunctioned, causing a mixture with a water-reactive chemical,” she told reporters. “That chemical produced a plume that has been shifting north.”
McDaniel said it’s unclear what chemicals are contained in the plume. She added that the plant was evacuated and everyone in the nearby area is safe.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was en route to Rockdale, the fire chief said.
Images and video of the massive plume have been posted online. Meteorologist James Spann posted images from Interstate-20 in Conyers:
