The incident happened around 5:30pm at an apartment complex on Timmons Lane near Colquitt.
Police say a plumber responded to a call at the woman's apartment and became concerned when no one answered. He entered through a window and found the woman dead.
"As soon as I seen that, I hopped out, left and called the cops," the plumber told us.
When police arrived and smelled the chemicals, a HazMat crew and a bomb squad were dispatched to the scene.
Neighbors in the units immediately surrounding that of the woman's were evacuated.
An extensive cleanup effort lasted into the night. The scene was clear and residents were allowed back in their homes by 2:30am.
No other injuries were reported, though we were told a couple of firefighters had to be decontaminated, or essentially washed down.
