LYMAN, S.C. -- State health officials were warning residents who live near a 13-mile-long chemical spill in Spartanburg County not to touch the substance because it could burn skin.

Officials with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said they believe the spill happened on Tuesday morning and that it was spilled out of a truck. They said they have some good leads on which truck spilled the chemical but would not elaborate on those leads.

The chemical looks harmless, just a reddish stripe on neighborhood roads, but officials said the substance can still burn skin upon contact.

FOX Carolina drove the length of the spill and found it on the following roads: Brookdale Drive, Highway 292, Little Mountain Circle, Little Mountain Road, Morgan Road, Newman Drive, Northview Street, Pinewood Drive and Wasp Nest Road. Most of the roads are in the Northview Acres Subdivision.

Some residents said they are worried about what will happen to the chemical if it is washed off the road by rain that is forecast for Wednesday afternoon.

Thom Berry, spokesman for DHEC, said the chemical appears to be electroplating waste. He urged parents to keep their children away from the substance.

Berry said it’s not likely that the chemical will harm animals, but he asked pet owners to keep a close eye on their pets if they come near the spill.

Officials said clean-up crews from Atlanta are expected to be in the area later on Wednesday.