The vacation home was burned down to studs.

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Two teenage boys on spring break saw a burning home

They sprang into action, saving the family and alerting authorities

CNN  — 

Most teenagers go to Florida on spring break to relax and enjoy a little freedom. Two Alabama teenagers will remember their trip for the lives they saved.

Ford Cleveland and Porter Simpler, both of Montgomery, went out in search of donuts Monday morning when they saw flames climbing up the side of a vacation home in Blue Mountain Beach.

Ford whipped out his phone and called in the address to 911, he told CNN affiliate WSFA.

“My friend ran up to the house and banged on the door and got everybody out,” he told the station. “By the time everybody got out of the house, it was completely in flames. The fire spread up the side of the building and caught the roof on fire, and it burned down from there.”

The Florida vacation home caught fire Monday morning.

Propane fuels flames

“The propane tank also caught on fire and started spraying everywhere and added to the chaos,” Ford said. “It made it burn a lot more. When it exploded, everyone started getting really worried because there was just so much fire on the side of the house.”

Girls who attend the same school as Ford were spending their spring break in the house next door. The boys made sure they got out safely as well – and just in time. The side of the girls’ house eventually caught flame and melted.

Ford Cleveland helped save a family from a burning home.

Investigators aren’t certain what sparked the billowing fire but believe a gas leak may have been a factor, WSFA reported.

The boys’ heroics caught the attention of their local fire department, which reached out on Twitter to congratulate them – and to suggest firefighting as a career option.