Four Iowa State students literally had a blast over spring break — their van caught fire on the way to Texas.

Matt Coen, freshman in pre-architecture, said his parents granted him and some friends permission to use their full-size 1989 GMC van and camper during a spring break trip to Austin.

But little did his parents know, they would never see the van in tact again.

The van “didn’t have a scratch on it [before bursting into flames],” Coen said. He added that his parents had never experienced trouble with the van before the incident.

Coen and three other men from Halsted House in Helser Hall were on the road at the time of the fire. Coen and Jarred Johnson, freshman in agricultural business, had been sleeping in the back seat.

Andrew Numelin, sophomore in finance, was behind the wheel, and Reid Watson, freshman in electrical engineering, was a front-seat passenger.

The mishap occurred at about 4 a.m. on March 14. Watson said strange noises started near the engine while the van was traveling up a hill in a small southern Oklahoma town.

“We started going up the hill, and the engine revved,” Watson said. “It sounded like the engine slipped out of gear.”

Numelin said the engine revved again when he stepped on the van’s accelerator. He said by the time he tried to downshift, smoke was streaming from the engine.

“There were no lights or warning signs or anything [on the dashboard],” Watson said.

After the group pulled over, an “orange glow” appeared under the van.

Before the van became engulfed in flames and smoke, the men tried to remove their personal belongings from the van.

Coen, Watson and Johnson were fortunate enough to retrieve their belongings, but Numelin lost his bag of clothing in the blaze.

The group lost all of its camping equipment, which had been stored in the pop-up camper they were towing.

The men also searched inside the camper for a fire extinguisher, but found only inoperable equipment.

About eight minutes after flames first arose from the engine, Coen said the van became engulfed in a fiery blaze.

“I was thinking … this isn’t happening.” Coen said. “A van just doesn’t burn.”

Numelin said he used a passing motorist’s cellular phone to call the fire department. He said firemen arrived on the scene and quickly stifled the blaze.

In 20 minutes, the fire had consumed the van and camper, which both were complete losses.

Johnson said the group was shocked by the incident.

“I don’t know how many times we asked each other, ‘Did the van just burn down?'” Johnson said.

Three hours after the fire, Coen said he phoned his aunt, who lives in Austin, to pick them up.

He said the group ended up staying in Austin for four days.

Coen added that they tried to enjoy spring break in spite of the van fire by participating in activities such as golf, a rodeo and a concert.

Numelin said his spring break experience was memorable.

“It’s going to be hard to top next year,” he joked.