People in the northern part of Rockdale County were ordered to evacuate and others were told to shelter in place with windows and doors closed.

A fire at a chemical plant in Conyers, Georgia, on Sunday caused residents to evacuate or shelter in place in an effort to avoid exposure to a chemical plume, and shelter-in-place mandates remained in place Monday morning.

A small fire on the plant’s roof was initially contained but reignited Sunday afternoon, authorities said. More than 90,000 residents east of Atlanta were told to keep sheltering in place Monday a day after a chemical plant fire sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky that could been seen for miles.

CONYERS, Ga. -- Thousands of people were told to stay home with their windows shut Monday after a Sunday fire at a Georgia chemical plant caused a chemical reaction that forced around 17,000 people to evacuate and left potentially harmful chlorine lingering in the air.

A massive explosion at a chemical plant in Georgia caused a huge plume of smoke, and authorities have instructed residents and businesses to shelter in place.

"If you have concerns, stay inside, close windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems,” Atlanta's mayor advised

A chemical plant fire in Conyers, Georgia, on Sept. 29 released chlorine into the air, prompting a stay-in-place advisory for residents on Sept. 30.

Some residents of Conyers, Georgia were forced to evacuate their homes on Sunday as officials scrambled to control a fire that reignited at a nearby chemical plant.

Atlanta’s fire department said it was testing for the presence of chemicals including chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. Residents east of Atlanta were again warned Tuesday to take shelter where they are if shifting winds push the still-billowing chemical cloud from a chlorine factory fire over their neighborhood.