LEWISTON – A smoking computer forced students to evacuate Farwell Elementary School Tuesday.

School staff led about 150 students outside shortly after noon. They were allowed back in a short time later after firefighters checked out the source of the smoke.

At first, a fluorescent light fixture was believed to be the culprit, but fire officials later blamed the smoky smell on a faulty computer in a basement classroom, said Principal Linda St. Andre. The computer was removed from the building.

Students are being housed in the former Holy Family Church school on Sabattus Street while a new Farwell School is under construction. Students eat in the cafeteria at the church next door, St. Andre said. The younger students were at lunch when the school was evacuated.

St. Andre said she didn’t hesitate to clear out the kids when she smelled smoke.

“Right away, I felt I needed to evacuate,” she said. She said she couldn’t see any smoke but smelled a “really strong odor.”