A spark ignited pine needles on the roof of a duplex on Marjorie Street, a South Lake Tahoe firefighter said.

The small fire occurred Sunday around 7:30 p.m. when a chimney without a guard allowed a wandering spark to float into a batch of pine needles, said Battalion Chief Scott Douglass.

Nobody was injured during the fire, which burned a hole through the outer surface and caused about $1,000 in damage, Douglass said.

A ladder truck helped extinguish the fire. Douglass said the incident should serve as a reminder for people to rid their roof of pine needles.

– William Ferchland