Two nursing assistants in the building moved the nine children, many of whom were in wheelchairs, said city spokeswoman Sandra King.

"These two nursing assistants got all of the children out of the building with all their machines before we even got there," King said.

The children were first taken under a tree in the backyard, then sent about a block away to another of the center's buildings at 605 Northeast 12th Ave.

The smoky blaze was extinguished in about five minutes, Zimmerman said.

The cause of the fire was electrical, said city fire inspector Rob Major.

Staff members at the center declined to comment. Some of them were moving furniture out of the one-story group home, where a charred dryer sat.

Akiko Robinson, 44, who lives next door, said she opened her window after smelling smoke and hearing fire trucks.

"I saw smoke coming out of the doors," Robinson said.

She grabbed her children and ran out of her house, which was not damaged.

Another neighbor who lives across the street said she saw smoke billowing out of the center.

"They must have been terrified," said the woman, who did not want her name used.

The center is less than a block from Pompano Beach High School.

King said firefighters were only a few blocks away when they got a call about the blaze, so they were on the scene less than five minutes later.

All the building's smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire alarms were working, she said.

The center has a special place in the hearts of local firefighters, who organize an annual Christmas charity drive for the children there.

The firefighters also are familiar with the children because paramedics sometimes have to respond to medical emergencies there, King said.

Given the fragile condition of many of the children, it also was important to limit their exposure to smoke.

"We love these kids," Zimmerman said.