JERSEY SHORE — Students and staff were forced to evacuate the Jersey Shore High School on Cemetery Street about noon Thursday when smoke began filling the cafeteria and kitchen, according to borough fire officials.

The problem was a heating motor on the school’s roof that malfunctioned, Citizens Hose Fire Chief Ethan Goodbrod said.

While there was no actual fire in the building, the malfunction caused smoke to enter the school’s ductwork and through vents in the cafeteria, Goodbrod said.

Exhaust fans provided by the school were used to clear smoke from the building while maintenance employees worked to repair the heating motor.

Students and teachers were allowed back into the school in about 30 minutes.