HFD spokesman Capt. Frank Johnson said the cause is still under investigation.

A man was taken to Castle Medical Center for smoke inhalation but no serious injuries were reported.

The fire started in the front of the home shortly before 3:30 a.m. and engulfed it within minutes, neighbors said.

"At first I thought I heard people talking or laughing. Then I heard a sound like breaking glass," said Alex Marana, whose home is next door to the destroyed home.

"I looked out the window and saw flames coming out of their window," Marana said. He then woke everyone in his house, ushered them outdoors and hosed down bushes and the roof until the firefighters arrived.

"I saw the guy who lives there standing at the mailbox and all he could do was watch it go up in flames," Marana said.

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One of the home's two occupants, a 43-year-old man, was transported to Castle for treatment of smoke inhalation, said Bryan Cheplic, department spokesman for Honolulu Emergency Services.

Johnson said 40 firefighters contained the blaze.

"We had it out within 15 minutes," Johnson said.

Neighbors said the occupants of the destroyed three-bedroom home were renters and that the residence had been a hub of activity.

Michelle Scrang, who lives across the street from the home, said it had been surrounded by SWAT teams before and police often visited the home.

"We see lot of action at that place," Scrang said.

Hillary Sanchez, another neighbor who lives next door with her grandmother and aunt, said she called 911 after waking to the sounds of shattering glass. Her family also tried to douse the flames with garden hoses until firefighters arrived.

"I thought they were breaking and entering at first when I heard the noise," Sanchez said. "Then I looked out and saw flames coming out the window."