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Forest Park chemical plant fire update
Forest Park fire officials and plant managers update a fire at a chemical plant near the Atlanta airport which has forced people to shelter in place.
FOREST PARK, Ga. - Officials issued an emergency alert late Thursday morning after a small fire at a chemical plant in Forest Park.
Police and fire crews responded around 11:21 a.m. to the plant at 71 Barnett Road.
What we know:
The flames were put out within minutes. An evacuation/shelter in place order of half a mile of the incident location was issued for the affected area. Roadblocks were put up, and motorists were told to avoid the area.
There are no known respiratory-related concerns associated with the chemicals or vapors involved in this incident, based on current assessments. Environmental agents say they have not found that any chemicals were released in the air or water.
Barnett Road is near Old Dixie Road and Kennedy Road, a little less than 2 miles east of the end of the Atlanta airport's fifth runway.
Dig deeper:
The plant, which makes polymer and composite resins, reported an upset reactor earlier in the morning and the fire erupted a short time afterward, although officials are still investigating if the two events are connected.
What we don't know:
Officials do not have an estimate for when the evacuation/shelter-in-place order will be lifted.