VIDALIA &8212; Tears welled up in Rebecca Butler&8217;s eyes Saturday, as her neighbor, Tina Thompson, brought Butler&8217;s dog Major to her after being rescued from her burning house at 101 Miranda Drive.

Vidalia Fire Department Capt. Johnny Evans and Lt. Tim Vanier found Major in the master bedroom next to Butler&8217;s bed.

&8220;That is where he usually stays when he is inside,&8221; Butler said.

Butler said she went outside into her garage when she smelled smoke coming from the storage room.

She and her 13-year-old son, Dylan, got out of the house and called the fire department.

&8220;Somebody stopped on the street and handed me a cell phone to call the fire department,&8221; Butler said.

Butler said she also called her husband, Eddie, who was at his hunting camp when the fire started.

Assistant Fire Chief Ben Adams said dispatch received a call at 4:26 p.m. from Butler saying that her house was on fire.

Adams said the crew arrived at 4:31 p.m. and began watering down the house and controlling the ventilation.

To control the fire and smoke, Adams said the firemen cut holes in two parts of the roof to control the ventilation.

&8220;Early ventilation is the key to extinguishing a fire,&8221; Adams said.

&8220;It&8217;s also a matter of timing. If we had been either too early or too late we might have lost the house.&8221;

The fire was contained at 7:14 p.m., and the cause is still undetermined, Adams said.

Assisting the Vidalia Fire Department was Concordia Parish Fire Department, District-2, Concordia Parish Sheriff&8217;s Office, the Metro Ambulance service and the Vidalia Police Department, Adams said.

&8220;Everybody did a bang-up job helping out and we really do appreciate it,&8221; Adams said.

Butler said the family has lived in the house since 1999.

Butler said she and her family would stay with relatives either in Natchez or Vidalia for now.