An 'Aiea man narrowly escaped a fire in his home when his dog woke him, firefighters said yesterday.

The house at 99-010 Kauhale Street was destroyed.

"Just a few walls left standing," said fire Capt. Chris Ah Mook Sang.

The man in his 60s and the dog escaped unhurt.

The fire started at 2:20 a.m., Ah Mook Sang said.

Firefighters were on the scene within three minutes but the house was already engulfed in flames.

About 25 firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in less than 15 minutes and prevented it from spreading to other structures, Ah Mook Sang said, but the man's two-bedroom home was a total loss.

Damage was estimated at $230,000.

A fire investigator was working to determine the cause of the blaze.

Elsewhere, firefighters have determined the cause of a blaze that struck an apartment Friday evening at 1424 Alexander St., causing $90,000 damage.

That fire was started by a child who was playing with a lighter in a bedroom, Ah Mook Sang said.

The smoke detector did not sound because there was no battery, and by the time firefighters arrived flames were shooting from the first-floor apartment.

"We want to remind people not to leave their children unattended and lighters or matches laying around," Ah Mook Sang said. "Check the batteries in smoke detectors at least once a month."

Reach Karen Blakeman at kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.