CAYCE, S.C. — A chemical reaction at a waste disposal facility in Cayce forced evacuations Thursday morning, but residents were allowed back into their homes by early afternoon.

The incident happened around 7 a.m. at Crystal Clean Waste Disposal on Poplar Street. Firefighters and hazmat crews from Cayce, Lexington and Columbia quickly secured the area. Neighbors were told to turn off HVAC systems and leave their homes.

Luke Shealy, who lives across the street, said he was woken up by emergency crews. “They were just like go ahead and evacuate, take your pets with you and turn off your AC units,” he said. Later, as he left, he noticed “the smell was bad then, just like a chemically smell.”

Some residents with disabilities were allowed to shelter in place. For others, concerns centered on

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