CHARLESTON - Todd and Angel Miller lost their belongings in a fire that destroyed their rural Charleston residence Tuesday afternoon, but they still have their pets, thanks to the efforts of a Coles County sheriff's deputy.

Sgt. Kerry Whitley rescued a purebred boxer from a kennel as flames engulfed the nearby single-story residence south of Charleston. Whitley also moved a vehicle in which Angel Miller had stowed a puppy and two cats as she fled with them from the burning building to a safe distance.

"He didn't have to get that close to the fire, but he did," Angel Miller said of the deputy.

Firefighters from all three Lincoln Fire Protection District stations and the Hutton district were called about 3:45 p.m. to 5775 N. County Road 1460E, where they found the Millers' home fully involved with flames.

"It had a pretty good start on us," said Kent Martin, Lincoln Station One chief.

Firefighters spent more than an hour containing the flames in the tightly wooded area, Martin said. Several overhanging trees caught fire briefly, but the chief said a forest fire was never a "major concern" because of recent rains.

"But we were keeping an eye on" the trees, he said.

Martin noted the cause of the fire still was being investigated by the Coles County Sheriff's Office. The structure was a total loss, he said. No injuries were reported.

Next-door neighbors said they were startled by what sounded like explosions. Allen and Vicki Huddleston were preparing to work in their garden when "we thought what we heard were fireworks," Allen Huddleston said.

As he ran out of his garage and looked at the Millers' house, he said he saw "sparks flying all over the place."

Then "the roof kind of blew up with fire," he said. "The roof kind of puffed up, a volcano-type thing. Then it really took off.

"It was on fire, and it seems like it got a burst of air, and it kind of blazed up."

Vicki Huddleston said she saw Angel Miller running from the house and asked her if anyone was still inside. "That was the main thing, to make sure everybody was safe," Vicki Huddleston said.

Angel Miller was the only one home at the time of the fire.

"I was doing laundry, and about a half-hour (later), I started to smell smoke," Angel Miller said. "I felt the garage door, and it was hot. I went and got the animals out and called 911."

Nathaniel West can be reached at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.