Two police officers are being commended for their courage in dangerous situations after they saved two children from the backyard of a burning house in Centennial, Colorado. Deputies Ryan McConnell and Chris Calderon from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office were captured on bodycam footage as they rescued the children. The police department released the footage.

“Sheriff’s office!” one officer is heard shouting upon arrival before describing the scene. “Thick, black smoke coming from the front door.”

Calderon said the children, ages 8 and 14, were screaming for help. The two deputies struggled to get to the juveniles due to the number of items that the homeowners had on either side of the house. “It was very hard to breathe and we were so close to the house and the flames were getting increasingly bigger. So that was the main priority — getting the kids out of there so they didn’t suffer any smoke inhalation or get pretty sick,” Calderon said.

The deputies went through a neighbor’s yard and tore down part of the wood fence with their hands to free the children, who weren’t wearing shoes or coats. The kids made their way to the deputies and were carried to safety.

“Hold on, sweetie,” one officer reassured as they worked quickly to free the children.

One of the children is heard saying, “Thank you, through tears to the officers.”

In a separate Facebook post, South Metro Fire Rescue shared more details about the fire and the family affected by the disaster. “Initial reports indicated that two adults and two juveniles were inside the home,” the statement read. “The juveniles managed to get to the backyard, where one called 911 and informed South Metro Emergency Communication Dispatchers that they were trapped and couldn’t leave the backyard.” Authorities later confirmed that the adults were not in the home at the time of the fire.

Thankfully, the children were not injured. They were treated at the scene by paramedics. Calderon and McConnell suffered smoke inhalation and were also treated at the scene by paramedics.

Calderon said while it’s not unusual for deputies to respond to a fire, they usually never have to do the job of firefighters. “I always tell a bunch of my firefighter buddies that they are my heroes because they do the job that I wouldn’t want to do,” he said.

The officers have since spoken about the incident, with Calderon expressing his amazement that anyone could survive. “There was tons of black smoke coming from inside the house,” he told KMGH-TV. “So, initially, I mean, when you see it, it’s hard to believe anyone could survive that. And fortunately, we were able to hear the kids in the backyard.”

McConnell noted that the children were clearly terrified and didn’t understand what was happening. “It was a good feeling to get them out of there,” the officer said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by South Metro Fire Rescue.

The family has been displaced, and the American Red Cross of Colorado is reportedly assisting them with their needs. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they cope with this tragic event.