Police Officers Rescue Baby From Burning House In Ocean Township, N.J.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Two police officers in Ocean Township, New Jersey had their bodycams running as they rescued a baby from a house fire this week.

The officers were on patrol around 3 a.m. Tuesday when they smelled smoke and spotted ashes flying through the air, police said.

They discovered flames swallowing the deck of a home, and called dispatch to notify the fire department.

Meanwhile, the officers' body cams captured them pounding on the front door to get the family out.

One of the officers went in the nursery to get the baby to safety.

The child's father said he first thought there were burglars in his home.

"All of a sudden, I hear someone yelling in my house," said Santo Perrotto. "I open the door and the officer said: 'Come on! You got to get out of the house!'"

"It's a great feeling," said Officer Christopher Clune, who rescued the child along with fellow Officer Arthur Barnek. "Obviously, this is the benefits of this job. It's awesome. But this is also, this is our job. So luckily, we were just in the neighborhood doing our residential patrols, and right place, right time – got everyone out safely."

Firefighters believe high-voltage outdoor lighting ignited freshly poured mulch to spark the blaze.