Fourteen people fled today from Safeway Kapahulu after a fire broke out in the supermarket, firefighters said.

At about 4:35 a.m., some 40 firefighters with 10 fire units responded to 888 Kapahulu Ave. and found smoke coming from the main entrance of the store, said Honolulu Fire Capt. Scot Seguirant. Eleven employees and three customers left the store before firefighters arrived.

A working fire sprinkler system helped prevent the spread of the fire, which was in or near aisle 11, Seguirant said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 5:40 a.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and a damage estimate was not available.

Calls to the store went unanswered this afternoon.