A beagle that was a family’s longtime pet was saved from a burning Lugoff home.

The beagle was found during an initial search firefighters made of a burning house Saturday night on North Village Lane near Lugoff, according to Lugoff Fire Chief Dennis Ray.

No one was home at the time of the fire, which was called in by neighbors.

Tens of thousands of dollar in damage was done to the single-story home, though an exact figure was no available Monday afternoon.

The fire apparently started in the rear deck area but was of unknown origin. The cause is now under investigation.

Firefighters from Lugoff, Blaney, Doby’s Mill, and Pine Grove fire departments responded to the fire.

June 11, 2012 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)Author: JOHN MONK, jmonk@thestate.com | Section: NEWS