Jacksonville police evacuated several Southside homes after discovering an apparent methamphetamine lab while investigating a domestic violence complaint, police said Sunday.

Residents were allowed by evening to return to homes in the 3700 block of Pine View Circle. Four or five homes had been cleared out, police said.

Police met a woman at a business on Emerson Street about 2:15 p.m. to take a report involving domestic violence, said Lt. Jimmy Judge of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. After talking to her, officers headed to the home to follow up, he said.

Judge said the unoccupied building's door had been left open and officers saw what they characterized as "a science experiment" in process inside. Suspecting they were seeing a drug lab, the officers called for assistance, including firefighters and the police bomb squad.

Judge said officers confirmed no chemical reactions were under way before dismantling the lab.

A man named in the domestic violence complaint was held by police for questioning, but was not immediately charged in the drug case.  Judge said he didn't have the man's name.