A two-alarm fire destroyed the home of a Kailua family of four and killed their dog Friday afternoon, prompting fire officials to remind residents of fire safety during the holiday season, which typically brings a small spike in fires.

Neighbor Geoff Newcomb was working on his computer when he smelled smoke and went outside to see the house next door already in flames. He called 911 and tried to hose down his home, but the heat forced him away.

The fire at 790 Kaipii St. gutted his neighbor’s three-bedroom, single-story home which was built in 1956, according to city property tax records.

Firefighters stopped the fire from damaging other homes.

"They’re having a hard time," Newcomb said of the couple who lived next door with their two children.

Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said firefighters were dispatched at 12:24 p.m. and found the home already engulfed in flames. About 35 firefighters from five fire companies had the blaze under control by 12:46 p.m.

Damage was estimated at $400,000. The American Red Cross was helping family members, who were not home at the time. The family dog, a golden retriever or a Labrador retriever, died in the fire, Seelig said.

"It was a well-advanced fire by the time we got here," Seelig said, "probably due to the age and construction of the home, a single-walled construction … kind of an open architecture where you have a lot of air coming through it."

A fire investigator later began sifting through the charred ruins to try to determine the cause and origin of the fire, the second to destroy a Kailua home in a month. On Nov. 25 an Enchanted Lake home on Palawiki Street was gutted by a fire that started either from an electrical circuit breaker panel or a gas water heater in the garage.

While the cause of Friday’s fire was still not determined, Seelig reminded residents to reduce the risk of fires when cooking and using holiday decorations.

"During the holiday season we do see a little bit of a rise in unattended cooking fires, and we have that hazard of a Christmas tree," he said. "We don’t have a lot of Christmas tree fires, but whenever we have, it’s devastating because of the type of fuel."

He urged residents to never leave the kitchen or the house when cooking and cautioned about cooking while impaired or tired because some people have fallen asleep.

Christmas trees should also be watered, placed out of direct sunlight to stay moist longer and placed away from exits, Seelig said. He reminded residents to turn off indoor and outdoor Christmas lights before leaving home or going to bed.

"You don’t want to be asleep with any fire," he said.