The older children at the My School center in Winston-Salem had performed fire drills so many times that they immediately walked back to a fence away from the building when the fire began Wednesday afternoon.
The children, who were taking naps when the fire alarm sounded, and the center's 11 employees weren't injured.
The fire started with an electrical short in a bathroom wall and ran through the wall to the attic, Winston-Salem fire Battalion Chief Steve Williams said.
The blaze caused $275,000 in damage, destroying the roof and front interior of the building. There was also heat, smoke and water damage throughout.
The center's owner, Lana Church, said she will try to rebuild.
The center practices fire drills at least once a month, focusing on getting everyone out in less than a minute. The center also practices drills during naptime, Church said, ``so that they know that they have to get up and go then, too.''
Information from: Winston-Salem Journal
