Texas high school basketball teammates save family from house fire

A group of high school basketball players are being hailed as heroes for their efforts to save a family from a house fire in Texas on Saturday.

Drew Timme and other teammates from JJ Pearce High School in the Dallas suburb of Richardson were driving home from a playoff win when they spotted flames coming from a home in North Dallas and decided to check it out.

“The whole road was covered in smoke, you could barely see what was in front of me, we knew something was bad and we could kind of see orange flickering from what looked like the house,” Timme told FOX 4 News.

After calling 911, the teenagers headed into the house to wake up the family inside and help get them out.

When they first went into the home, Timme told FOX 4 the smoke inside was already thick and hard to see.

"I think they're heroes, and I think they're amazing, and we're very grateful for them for being brave for doing the right thing, for being responsible young men."

— Jillian Britton

“I just banged on the door and I guess I woke the mom up and grabbed one of the kids out of there, because he was kind of close to the entrance,” he said. “I just grabbed him and said ‘is anyone else in the house?’ and I just started yelling inside.”

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Dallas Fire-Rescue told the television station the couple inside, their two sons and pets were all able to get out safely. Fire investigators believe the cause of the fire was accidental and was ignited by an electrical short in the attic.

The family, who didn't want to speak on camera after being shaken by the fire, told FOX 4 they weren't fully woken up by the smoke alarm, and were thankful to the teens for saving their lives.

“I think they're heroes, and I think they're amazing, and we're very grateful for them for being brave for doing the right thing, for being responsible young men. Very proud of them,” neighbor Jillian Britton told FOX 4.