CONYERS, Ga. — A chemical fire at a lab facility in Conyers on Sunday has put much of the city under an evacuation zone.
The fire broke out at a facility operated by a company called BioLab northwest of the city center of Conyers, a little more than 20 miles east of Atlanta. Everything between Sigman Road and Interstate 20 in the city is inside the evacuation zone.
RELATED: Large chemical fire at Conyers, Georgia facility; much of city in evacuation zone | What we know
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 County Officials stated this is the third incident at the facility in seven years involving products mixing with water and causing a chemical reaction.
Crews said they are working to remove the chemicals, though they noted that the process could take several hours. The EPA is also expected to be on-site to test the area's air quality.
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 a bit of what we know about BioLab:
What is Bio Lab, and what do they make? | Conyers, Georgia chemical fire
According to its website, BioLab is based in Lawrenceville and is the "swimming pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products."
The company makes brands, including BioGuard and SpaGuard, that it says "pioneered computerized water testing and the 3-step system for pool and spa care."
BioLab also touts among its products as "leading brands of specialty chemicals" Natural Chemistry, SeaKlear, AquaPill and the Coral Sea. They also say they produce professional line products called ProGuard and Pro Series.
It's unclear what chemicals might be involved in sparking the situation Conyers; in a similar 2004 fire, authorities said chlorine was one of the chemicals involved. Officials described a fire leading to a sprinkler system going off, and the chemical plume in part being a reaction between the water and chemicals.
BioLab back then was owned by Chemtura, a conglomerate that went into bankruptcy and was later acquired by a German company called Lanxess. BioLab is now owned by KIK Consumer Products, according to its website, in a sale from Chemtura a few years before that company was acquired by Lanxess.
Here are some ingredient lists for BioGuard products:
Ingredient list for Spa Guard product:
Ingredient list for Natural Chemistry products: