A fire July 20 burns part of Mountain Mike’s T-shirt shop. Photo/Provided

A fire at Mountain Mike’s T-shirt shop in South Lake Tahoe early this morning forced the evacuation of some people staying at the Highland Inn.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Jeff Meston told Lake Tahoe News the fire likely started in the air conditioning unit of the store and then spread inside. He said the fire was knocked down quickly.

Investigators will continue to work the scene to determine the exact cause. The extent of damage or dollar amount are not yet known.

The fire that started before 7am July 20 sent smoke into some of the hotel rooms. Those guests are expected to be able to return to their room later this morning. No one from the hotel was available for comment.

Highway 50 was closed in both directions. It is expected to reopen by 7:40am.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report