Baby boy hospitalized after row house fire in Camden

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- Firefighters were called at 3:30 a.m. Friday to a home in the 600 block of Randolph Street.

They found heavy smoke and fire coming from the back of the row house.

Eight people were in the home at the time of the fire.

One resident, 60-year-old Roger Johnson, told Action News he was in the basement when the fire started and tried fight the blaze himself.

Firefighters had to rescue him from the home.

The seven other people in the home were able to make it out safely, including the parents of a 2-month-old baby boy.

Thalia Johnson, the baby's mother, told Action News they were upstairs when they heard the smoke detectors go off.

They immediate grabbed their baby boy and ran out of the house.

Medics took the infant to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden to be treated for smoke inhalation. He was released a short time later.

The fire was put under control shortly after 4:00 a.m.

Joseph Seagrave, the baby's father, told Action News the family often takes the batteries out of the home's smoke detectors so the alarm doesn't sound when they are cooking.

He said he happened to put those batteries back in Thursday night, and is very thankful he did.

Streets in the area remained closed as firefighters worked to clear the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.