Kahaluu resident Kapa Haskell was cleaning his yard when he heard the popping of a fire two houses away and saw a "big ball of black smoke coming."

"I jump over the wall, pound on the door to see if anybody was home, and he opened the door, like surprised, with a fire extinguisher, like he was dazed or something," said the 40-year-old.

When the man turned around and went back in, Haskell yelled for him to get out of the burning house, which was thick with smoke.

Brian Sanders, son-in-law of homeowners George and Mi­­tsuko Higa, was the only one home at the time and escaped uninjured.

The 11:46 a.m. fire caused substantial damage to the 42-year-old two-story, six-bedroom house at 47-563 Hui Iwa St. near Ahui­manu Elementary School, with an estimated 70 percent of the first floor sustaining heavy damage. It was extinguished at 12:36 p.m.

Fire officials will continue to investigate the cause today, and estimated the blaze caused $450,000 in damage and $5,000 in heat damage to a neighboring house.

Sanders said he was asleep when the fire started. When he awoke, there was smoke throughout the whole house, he said.

"By the time I got the fire extinguisher and got back, there was black smoke," Sanders said. He said he could see the flames behind the jalousie windows outside the house.

Sanders said he didn’t know exactly what was burning or what may have started the fire.

Fire officials believe the blaze started at the back of the house.

Haskell caught the orange flames on videotape shooting out the windows.

Sanders and his wife moved in about six to seven months ago, said Mi­tsuko Higa, 76, who has lived 42 years in the home, which has been remodeled over the years.

"I’m thankful for all my neighbors," she said, smiling broadly. "They were right here, even though we were out shopping."

Higa had gone to her son’s elementary school to do volunteer work, and later went to lunch and Longs Drug Store, where she got the news.

"My girlfriend called us and said, ‘Your house is on fire!’"

Higa said she was smiling, but said she hadn’t yet gone into the house to see the destruction.

"I think when you have faith in God, he is in control of everything," she said. "God will take care of us."

"We didn’t lose our lives," she said. "We lost a house but not the spirit."

The family will stay with relatives, and Red Cross assisted with basic needs.

Next-door neighbor Rona Rami­rez, whose recently renovated home received damage to its siding, windows and gutters, said, "I’m not happy our house had some damage, but I feel for the family. I’m thankful the Fire Department was able to stop it. I was told the flames were going over."