The deputy and officer who made a daring rescue of a 3-month-old from an apartment say it felt personal, as both have young children.

Fire officials say they were called to Apperson Drive around 1:15 p.m. NewsChopper 2 flew over the apartment and saw a large presence of police, fire and paramedics. When first responders got there, a Winder police officer and a Barrow County sheriff’s deputy went into the apartment to rescue three small children.

Chief Matt Whiting said firefighters responded shortly before 1:15 p.m. to an apartment complex along Apperson Drive, near Winder Elementary School.

“They told me that a candle had started in the bedroom, and it just got out of control quickly,” said Hannah Waits about the fire that started at her sister’s home. It was a rush to get her nieces and nephew out of the burning apartment on Apperson Drive in Winder. It was just after 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.