The fire has reportedly reignited at BioLab in Conyers and a hard evacuation is underway. The original fire started around 5 a.m. Sunday. Residents in the immediate area were evacuated, and many roads were closed.

Interstate 20 has been blocked off in both directions between Salen Road and Turner Hill and an evacuation zone has been established.

Those who are north of I-20 and between Sigman Road and I-20 are within the evacuation zone. Residents who live south of I-20 are safe.

Rockdale County officials who have been keeping residents updated throughout the morning and afternoon say their new challenge is keeping curious people out of the area.

"If you choose not to evacuate, please do not get out and ride around and just take videos of what's going on!" said Conyers Mayor Vince Evans. "Stay in place. Stay put. Either leave or stay, but don't be wandering out in the city."

Just before 5 p.m., FOX 5 Atlanta was told Piedmont Rockdale Hospital was in the process of evacuating some patients. District Attorney Alisha A. Johnson also announced the Rockdale County Courthouse and her office would be closed Monday due to the fire.

"We ask for your prayers for the safety of the residents of Rockdale and the first responders committed to protecting our community," she posted on Instagram.

"This is not the time to do any type of sightseeing," said Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett. "We are strongly encouraging everyone, no matter where you're coming from, but especially Rockdale residents, to stay out of this area for the safety of yourself, and for the safety of all personnel that are out here already that have to work this type of incident."

Sheriff Levett also noted that many of the agencies that would typically offer large-scale assistance during this sort of event are already being stretched thin due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Many of them, according to the sheriff, are helping out in Augusta.

A shelter in place has been issued for the area until at least 8 p.m. Officials say that timeline is subject to change.

There's a new evacuation site set up at Scout Camp located at 218 Scout Road in Covington. People can also go to Wolverine Gym located at 8134 Geiger Street in Newton County.

Rockdale County Animal Services is urging residents who evacuate not to leave their pets behind.

What happened to the BioLab in Conyers?

Georgia Emergency Management Agency Homeland Security on behalf of Rockdale County EMA has issued a SHELTER IN PLACE order due to a fire at BioLab. Residents in the north half of the county should REMAIN INDOORS, CLOSE/LOCK WINDOWS AND DOORS, TURN OFF AIR CONDITIONERS. Please keep an eye on your local news providers for updates.

A fire at BioLab, a chemical plant, on Old Covington Highway in Rockdale County led to several road closures in the area early Sunday morning, according to Rockdale County Sheriff's Office.

Emergency services responded and the sheriff's office is asking residents to stay indoors and keep windows closed to minimize exposure to any potential hazards. Officials say "safety measures are in place to protect the public."

Residents in the immediate area have been evacuated and JP Carr Gym has been set up as an evacuation site.

During a 10 a.m. press conference, it was revealed that the incident began around 5 a.m. Officials say that a sprinkler in the plant malfunctioned, causing water to make contact with a reactive chemical. That resulted in a small fire on the roof of the plant and a large plume.

Officials did not say what chemical was involved during the press conference. Officials also said that they are waiting for heavy equipment to remove pallets of the chemical from the plant. In the meantime, the EPA will be sampling the plume to determine what chemicals are in it to determine the threat level to the community.

Once those things have been accomplished, officials say they will be better able to provide a timeline on when residents can return to their home. In the event they are unable to return today, plans are being made to provide shelter for tonight.

A PSA will be sent out soon advising residents what steps to take if they feel they have been affected by the plume. Officials also said that updates will be posted on the Rockdale County government's Facebook page.

Multiple roads near the plant were closed following the incident. Those road closures will continue for an unspecified amount of time.

Road Closures:

2986 - Old Covington @ 2nd Ave

2970 - Sigman @ Rockbridge

3002 - Sigman @ General Arts

3024 - Blacklawn @ Veterans

2939 - Plunkett @ Lester

3040 - Rockdale Ind. @ Lester

2920 - Lester East of Farmer

2998 - General Arts @ Farmer

3012 - Old Cov. @ Rockdale Ind

CPD - Sigman @ Rockbridge

Churches in the area are also being asked to cancel or end their services and residents are being asked to go home, but avoid the impacted area.

The company issued the following statement:

"We are actively investigating an incident at our BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia. Our employees are accounted for with no injuries reported. Our 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."

BioLab is a "swimming pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia."

A fire broke out at the same location in 2020.

RELATED: Major chemical fire shuts down parts of I-20, other roads

There was also an incident in 2016.

RELATED: Crews battle Covington Highway BioLab fire