Ten minutes after leaving home to run errands, Round Top Drive resident Kaiulani Cowell received a call that the house was in flames.

The blaze destroyed the wooden home she was renting with her husband, Don Cowell, while their own house is being rebuilt. At 12:18 p.m. yesterday, firefighters responded to a 911 call of the fire at the home at 2182 Round Top Drive.

The fire was under control at 12:51 p.m. and extinguished at 2:05 p.m. Damage to the structure and its contents was estimated at $650,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Cowell, owner of Kaiulani Spices, a Hawaii-based company that sells organic spices, said she rushed back home after her contractor called to alert her of the fire. Cowell saw billowing smoke as she drove up Round Top Drive behind a firetruck heading to her house. “;I was just bawling,”; she said. “;I was like in shock. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.”;

Chad Cannon of Maloney Construction Inc. said he was alerted of the fire after he smelled smoke while working on the Cowells' house, which is located nearby. He and others got the neighbors out of their homes before the fire quickly roared through the affected structure.

“;The home was all in flames in five minutes,”; Cannon said. “;It was kind of scary.”;

The Cowells rented the home for 1 1/2 years while their home is being rebuilt and renovated by Maloney Construction.

Irreplaceable family photos and a koa desk made by a friend were among the items destroyed in the blaze. “;The only thing we got is the clothes on our back,”; she said. The couple did not have renters' insurance.

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The Rount Top Drive blaze, which destroyed the rented house, was visible for miles.

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Their three cats, Bella, Billy and Tiger, are suspected to have escaped the blaze. They had not been located as of press time.

A couple of residents below Round Top Drive said they started filling laundry baskets with their valuables when they feared the blaze would spread. Neighbors also heard an explosion as the fire torched the house.

Cowell's husband was in a business meeting in Aiea when he was informed about the blaze. He headed to Round Top Drive and remained positive as he assured his wife of 30 years that they will recover from the fire that destroyed everything they owned. “;It's just stuff … nothing you can't live without,”; he said.