Two people and their pets escaped injury Tuesday afternoon when a fire broke out at their South Lake Tahoe residence.

When Lake Valley firefighters arrived at 1406 Black Bart Ave. they saw light smoke coming from the roof.

Firefighters quickly determined there was a fire in the chimney chase that connected to a large attic, and were able to extinguish it before it spread to the surrounding structures or wildland. The cause is being labeled accidental.

Crews were at the house this morning in the snow mopping up after the 4:12pm fire.

Leona Allen, spokeswoman for the department, told Lake Tahoe News the fire started in the older section of the 5,000-square-foot house that had been remodeled.

An estimate of the cost of damages is not known. It will likely be up to the insurance company to determine whether the structure is salvageable.