Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place Sunday to avoid contaminants from a chemical plant fire that sent a massive tower of dark smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.

A fire at a chemical plant east of Atlanta is forcing evacuations in the area, according to local officials. A fire on the roof of a BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia was reignited when water from a malfunctioning sprinkler head "came in contact with a water reactive chemical and produced a plume," county officials explained on their website.

Authorities in Georgia on Sunday issued evacuation orders after a chemical plant caught fire near Atlanta, sending up plumes of black smoke.