Police said they wanted to question a man who was seen leaving the home clutching a picture frame shortly before the fire began.

The man lives in the single-story portion of the home that was destroyed. A two-story addition suffered minor damage.

Neighbor Keoni Jones was at home when his wife told him that she smelled smoke.

"I looked out the window and saw the flames on the lower portion of the house," Jones said. "The guy that lives upstairs, his truck was home so I ran over and I pounded on the door."

The resident, identified only as Larry, was about to go to sleep and did not know that the house was on fire, Jones said. Jones said he ran into the home, not thinking about his own safety.

"I guess I wasn't thinking at the time. I just wanted to make sure Larry was fine," Jones said.

The fire was reported at 6:34 p.m. and brought under control about 25 minutes later. Damage was estimated at $270,000 to the building and its contents, said HFD Capt. Emmit Kane.

Kane said two men lived in the two-story side of the home and were being assisted by the American Red Cross last night. Police were unable to find the man who lived in the burned-out side of the home.

Kane said the home was so heavily damaged that police and fire investigators would not be able to enter the structure until this morning.