Fire yesterday caused significant damage to the front of a single-family home on Huakai Street in Waipahu, displacing the 19 people living there.

Firefighters responding to a 2:30 p.m. call found the right front portion of the nine-bedroom house in flames and a live electrical line on the ground where it had fallen, said Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig.

As many as nine people were home at the time, but all left the home safely.

Personnel from the Waikele police station used the department's new compressed-air foam system, which absorbs heat faster than water, to battle the blaze.

While the fire did not significantly damage the rest of the home, the downed power line left the house without electricity. The Red Cross was called to help the 19 residents displaced by the fire.

Loss was estimated at $150,000 to the building and $25,000 to its contents.