A BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga. caught fire earlier today, causing an orange and gray smoke plume to rise above the facility about six miles from Oxford College. No one was injured in the fire, according to a BioLab representative.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said a sprinkler head malfunctioned and caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical around 5 a.m. this morning. The Rockdale County Government wrote in a Facebook post that Highway I-20 was blocked off between Salem Road and Turner Hill Road. Additionally, the county government asked residents in the affected zone to evacuate. All Rockdale County residents are under a shelter in place order until midnight.
Oxford sent out an email to students addressing the situation, writing that Emory University is aware of the fire.
“Currently, there is no immediate threat to the campus,” Oxford wrote in the email. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide any safety guidance as warranted.”
The announcement added that students taking the Oxford-Atlanta shuttle should check the Passio GO! app for further updates on shuttle service.
Jonatan Levi Quintero (26Ox) said that he first heard about the fire on the news around noon. He was shaken up by the situation, pointing out the BioLab plant’s history of accidents. Previously, chemical accidents occurred at the same plant in 2016 and 2020, causing fires inside the facility.
“It was shocking,” Quintero said. “That’s more frightening, that it’s that close to our school, and it could happen again in the near future.”
Quintero expressed that he was worried about whether Oxford would be safe, as it was “20 minutes away.”
“I just really hope that the wind and weather does not blow any of these chemicals into Oxford,” Quintero said.
The air quality in Oxford, Ga. is “good” as of press time, according to The Weather Channel.
