GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A dog survived a raging house fire for six hours by hiding in a water-filled bathtub, according to firefighters.
The house that burned was in the relatively new Beaumont subdivision off State Park Road near Mt. Creek Baptist Church.
Piedmont Park Fire Capt. Duane Brock said the fire was extremely difficult to extinguish because of the size of the house and the intensity of the flames.
Firefighters were able to rescue the dog, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois named Mia, from the basement of the burning home, according to Brock.
Mia's owner, Chris Brumby, was amazed at how the dog survived, but said he knew she was smart.
"She acts like a human for most things," Brumby said. "And that kind of showed it. She knew where to go and hide."
He said Mia was able to get to a bathtub on the lowest level of the house, where she waited as firefighters doused the home with water. As the water ran down into the basement, it filled the bathtub and soaked Mia, keeping her safe from flames, Brock said.
Brumby said the dog has learned how to open doors throughout the house, and that she had to open four doors to get to the bathtub where she was found.
He said when firefighters brought her out of the house, she was wet, dazed and covered in soot.
"She literally had steam coming off of her," he said.
Brumby, his wife Codi and their two children were out to dinner when the fire started.
He said the house was a total loss, but that they were relieved that the dog survived.
"That was a pretty special moment for us, because she's definitely part of the family," he said.
About 30 firefighters from the Piedmont Park, Parker, Lake Cunningham and Taylors Fire Departments battled the fire for two hours before getting the flames under control, Brock said. Fire crews spent the next several hours putting out hot spots and cleaning up, he said.
Heat and smoke in the structure was far too widespread for internal access.
An EMS unit was called to the fire, which is routine, but since no one besides Mia was home, there were no injuries, Brock said.
Brock said investigators believe flames started in the attic, but they don't know how.
Fire investigators returned to the scene Friday morning, trying to find what sparked the flames.
