BioLab fire: Group raises money for gas masks for residents affected by chemical cloud

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. – A new fundraiser is pushing to help some Rockdale County residents still dealing with the effects of the BioLab chemical fire get gas masks.

A GoFundMe started by Illinois activist Jada Fulcher and Atlanta-based charity Mask Bloc ATL aims to raise $10,000 to purchase more than 200 masks and filters to distribute to Conyers residents who live near the plant.

According to organizers, if the gas dissipates before the goal is reached, the funds will still go to the affected residents to help with any health problems.

So far, the fundraiser has raised more than $6,500 from nearly 200 donors.

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What happened in the BioLab?

BioLab’s website says it is the pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The Conyers plant opened in 1973.

The fire broke out around 5 a.m. on Sunday, September 29, when a sprinkler system malfunction caused water to come into contact with a water-reactive chemical. BioLab employees and residents were evacuated and several roads were closed, including Interstate 20 in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill. The highway remained closed until early Monday morning.

During a news conference on the morning of Sept. 29, officials said the fire started when a faulty sprinkler system released water onto a reactive chemical, resulting in a small fire and a large plume of smoke. Although the initial fire was brought under control around midday, it reignited as chemicals were being removed from the building. The fire was completely extinguished between 4 and 5 p.m

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Since the fire, a cloud of smoke remained in the air, causing thick smoke to spread across surrounding counties. Residents reported difficulty breathing, with some describing the smoke as “thick and heavy.” Some noted that it left a noticeable taste and was noticeable on the skin. “It almost looked like a whiteout,” one resident said, describing how visibility dropped to just 10 to 15 feet.

A curfew remains in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for all residents living within a two-mile radius of the facility.

The company has established a 24/7 call center to help evaluate and process reimbursement requests from residents and businesses and answer general questions about the fire.

History of the BioLab incidents

This is not the first fire to break out at the plant and cause serious health problems.

In May 2004, a major fire in a warehouse at the Conyers complex caused multiple explosions and led to the evacuation of 300 people as a cloud containing chlorine rolled through the area. The green, gray and white plume of smoke stretched 10 miles long. At least nine people went to hospitals with complaints of burning eyes and lungs.

After the explosion, the company agreed to a $7 million settlement.

In June 2015, six Rockdale County firefighters were injured in a fire at the complex, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, the Rockdale Citizen reported at the time. Another fire the following year led to some voluntary evacuations near the plant.

In September 2020, a chemical fire at the same plant in Conyers prompted authorities to close both directions of Interstate 20 during the morning rush hour. Inside the facility, BioLab employees used forklifts to try to move the chemicals away from the decomposing chemicals to prevent the disaster. But their forklifts slipped on the wet ground and chemical fumes formed. As the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board later determined, firefighters’ access to the scene was hindered by poorly stacked pallets of materials. Nine firefighters were examined in hospitals after inhaling dangerous fumes.

Since then, several class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of residents of Rockdale County and surrounding areas.