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

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

A poisonous plume of chlorine from a manufacturing plant with a history of hazardous incidents led authorities to order tens of thousands of people to evacuate or huddle inside their homes Monday as authorities in the Atlanta area shut down schools and government offices.