VIDEOS/PHOTOS: An incident at a Rockdale County chemical facility early Sunday morning has prompted orders for many area residents to evacuate and others to shelter in place.
A shelter-in-place order has been given to the entirety of Rockdale County.
Around 5:30 a.m., a sprinkler at the BioLab plant on Old Covington Highway in Conyers malfunctioned and sprayed water on a chemical, causing a reaction that created a large, hazardous plume, which then began drifting to the northeast, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said at a press briefing shortly after 10 a.m.
The malfunction also caused a small fire on the BioLab roof, which was contained, McDaniel said. During a press briefing around 5:30 p.m., McDaniel said the roof collapsed due to the fire.