Tuesday, November 15, 2016 11:15 am

LAS VEGAS (From the Review-Journal) -- Firefighters on Monday gained control of a fire at a Clearwater paper facility in North Las Vegas that shut down traffic on a surface street for several hours.

Crews responded about 9 a.m. to a report of smoke inside the Clearwater Paper Corp. that had forced employees to evacuate, fire Capt. Cedric Williams said.

Firefighters entered the building and found a fire burning in rafters that run the length of the building, above the sprinkler system. The blaze was declared under control just after 11 a.m., Williams said.

A nearby road was closed near the scene from 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m.

The fire was determined to be an accident caused by mechanical problems, he said. The facility suffered significant fire and smoke damage and will remain closed, Williams said; damages are undetermined.

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Join Jim Thompson on the 2nd Annual Papermakers Mission Trip to Guatemala, 22 - 29 July 17. Build houses, talk about the pulp and paper industry. For more information, email jthompson@taii.com with "Guatemala" in the subject line.