ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA — A new federal report says the conditions that led to the 2024 BioLab fire in Conyers were “completely unacceptable.”
The final report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board says nearly 14 million pounds of reactive chemicals were stored in a warehouse without proper safeguards.
Investigators say the chemicals were packaged in about 5,000 large sacks that were stacked in a way that prevented responders from stopping the situation from escalating into a catastrophic fire and a massive plume of smoke.
The September 2024 fire forced evacuations in Rockdale County, closed nearby schools and caused health concerns as smoke spread across parts of metro Atlanta.
Residents in surrounding counties also reported a strong chlorine smell as the smoke moved through the area.
The report comes as legal action continues following the fire. Two Rockdale County sheriff’s deputies and a Conyers resident filed a lawsuit claiming they suffered severe respiratory injuries after exposure to the smoke plume.
A separate class-action lawsuit tied to the fire was filed in April and later moved toward the Georgia Supreme Court.
BioLab previously announced it would not rebuild the facility and later said it was shutting down the Conyers site in 2025.