Residents of Conyers, Georgia, soon awoke to towering plumes of orange and black smoke. The air was thick with the stench of chlorine, a clear sign that something had gone horribly wrong.

By 6:40 a.m., the fire was out of control. Emergency responders scrambled to the scene, battling a blaze that had already engulfed a nearby chemical plant.

Officials ordered 17,000 residents to evacuate. Another 90,000 were told to shelter in place. Families huddled indoors, hoping to avoid the toxic cloud.

Interstate 20, a major highway through the area, was shut down, bringing traffic to a standstill. Schools closed. Businesses shuttered. Hospitals braced for an influx of patients with respiratory issues.

Initial containment efforts seemed successful—until the fire reignited around noon. It wasn’t until late afternoon that responders finally brought the inferno under control. But the damage was done.

And the worst part was it was all preventable.

The fire started at the BioLab chemical plant in the early hours of September 29, 2024. 

A fire watch employee at BioLab’s Plant 12 noticed it first.

Investigating the noise, they discovered water-reactive chemicals soaked by a malfunctioning sprinkler system. Flames erupted within minutes, breaching the warehouse roof and spewing toxic smoke into the predawn sky.

This wasn’t the first time BioLab faced such a catastrophe. A similar emergency at the same facility in 2020 raised serious questions about the company’s safety protocols.

For the people of Conyers, the disaster left a lasting mark. Even after the flames were extinguished, the air carried a lingering haze of chlorine. 

Residents remained on edge. Businesses filed claims for lost revenue, and families demanded answers. Some lawsuits mentioned millions of dollars in damages.

The Conyers fire is a stark reminder of how quickly an emergency can spiral out of control when safety systems fail. It underscores the critical need for reliable equipment, rigorous maintenance, and comprehensive emergency-response plans.

Without them, communities, businesses, and lives are at risk. 

Thanks to the AI boom, the U.S. is investing heavily in safety again.

It’s no secret that there’s a massive buildout for new data centers and power plants to supply the energy needed. And as these structures are built, the companies behind them understand they need to invest in reliability and safety too.

The AI rally touches a lot of different industries, and while many investors are mostly interested in tech and energy stocks, there are suppliers working on providing safety equipment and features to the AI-driven infrastructure buildout.

These stocks aren’t as glamorous, but they’re critical in making sure that every structure is reliable and built up to code.

When thinking about how to play the AI boom, don’t overlook safety-first companies. 

Heating, cooling, and fire safety giant Johnson Controls (JCI) is up 35% this year alone, for instance. 

As long as the AI-related buildout, these kinds of stocks should help contribute to the rally. 

Best regards,

Joel Litman & Rob Spivey
Chief Investment Officer &
Director of Research
at Valens Research

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