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A portion of South University Drive was blocked off as the Fargo police bomb squad investigated a suspicious object found outside South Campus II on Wednesday afternoon. Carrie Snyder / The Forum

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What was initially thought to be a pipe bomb found inside a Fargo school Wednesday turned out to be a harmless science project.

The Fargo police bomb squad was called to South Campus II on South University after a teacher found a suspicious object in the ninth-grade center.

After officers disarmed it as a “precautionary” measure, it was deemed a nonexplosive homemade science project that was discarded in a garbage can.

“It kind of had the appearance of a pipe bomb,” Sgt. Joe Anderson said, describing the object as a homemade car with a self-propelled candle in a tube-like container.

A teacher at the school at 1305 9th Ave. S. found it about 3 p.m.

The item was brought outside while students were moved to the other side of the school and dismissed.

A portion of South University Drive was closed for a couple of hours and about a dozen homes were evacuated while police investigated.

No one was injured and no arrests were made, though a couple of students were detained and released for being uncooperative, Anderson said.

Wednesday’s situation was “unnerving” for staff, students and parents.

“It turned out to be benign, fortunately,” Fargo Superintendent Rick Buresh said, adding the school will resume as normal today. “(But) this is really a realistic drill.”

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Readers can reach Forum reporter Kelly Smith at (701) 241-5515