A week ago, the Saffery family drew up a fire evacuation plan — a homework assignment for the kids.

The plan proved vital yesterday morning, as the family was forced to quickly evacuate their Papakolea home while 40-foot, wind-swept flames destroyed their neighbor's one-story wooden house.

Before firefighters were able to get the blaze under control at 6:52 a.m. — nearly 50 minutes after arriving — flames had singed one side of the Saffery house, burned the home at 2393 Tantalus Drive to the ground, and damaged about 25 percent of a third residence. Tallies on damage to the homes and their contents were not available yesterday, officials said.

Firefighters credited the Safferys' fire evacuation plan with making sure everyone in the house got out OK. The first person to spot the fire, 12-year-old Sadie Saffery, helped alert three other children and four adults in the house.

Together, they all crossed the street to safety.

"Most houses have fire alarms, but people kind of forget about escape plans," said Capt. Terry Seelig, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department. "An escape plan is essential to making sure everyone can get out of the house."

No injuries were reported after the blaze. The American Red Cross of Hawai'i is assisting those affected by the fire, including the lone occupant of the house that was destroyed and a couple in their 30s who live in the home next door that received significant fire damage. Seelig said the couple will likely have to make repairs to the home before they can return.

Neighbors said a man in his 60s lives alone in the house that was destroyed.

The fire, whose cause is still under investigation, started about 5:56 a.m., and firefighters got there by 6:04.

When the fire started, Lei Saffery was in her bedroom. She heard her daughter, Sadie, screaming "Fire! Fire!" and ran out to see what was going on.

Once the family got out, neighbors used garden hoses to wet down the side of the Saffery house and try to stop the spread of flames until firefighters arrived.

"We were so concerned for our house," Saffery said.

About 35 firefighters battled the blaze, whose flames shot up so high they damaged a street utility pole, knocking out power to about 13 homes. Electricity was restored in the area around noon, according to a Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman.

The fire also closed a portion of Tantalus Drive for hours.

Lisa Machado has a house two doors down from the one that was destroyed.

She wasn't home when the fire started, but rushed up the hill after a call from her neighbor. As she was driving toward the flames, she grew sick with worry.

"It was too much to handle," she said. "The flames were 40 feet high."

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.