(CBS) - Four teenage boys in Sapulpa, Oklahoma are gaining widespread praise for their act of bravery. The boys, ages 14 to 17, rushed into a 90-year-old woman's home as it was burning — and got her out unharmed.
The woman, Catherine Ritchie, was getting ready for bed when she turned around and saw her bed completely engulfed in flames, her daughter, Missy Nicholas, writes in a blog post. "She made an attempt to extinguish the flames herself by throwing blankets and pillows on the fire," Nicholas wrote.
The billowing smoke overwhelmed her and Ritchie quickly got disoriented, the blog post continues.
As the fire raged inside Ritchie's house, across the street were four teen boys who had just walked outside and smelled smoke.
The boys did not hesitate. "One started breaking the glass on the front door. One called 911. One went to the back door and began kicking it in. One went to the neighbors for an ax and help," Nicholas's blog post continues. Fourteen-year-old Nick Byrd was the first to break into the house. He found Ritchie in the hallway and scooped her up.
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