A barking dog has woken a Brisbane family, alerting them to a fire that has destroyed their home of 40 years.

A 67-year-old man and his two adult children escaped the fire which started at the Acacia Ridge property around 1am.

"The house is all but destroyed. It was a very fierce and intense fire," firefighter Owen George told Seven Network.

The fire spread to a boat that was loaded with diesel fuel, adding to the ferocity of the fire that could be seen streets away.

"We could see flames from my house about two streets away, a lot of smoke and high flames," a witness, who was woken by explosions, told Nine Network.

A family were able to escape a fire that destroyed their home because their dog barked and woke them up. #9Today https://t.co/6EemHCOigw

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 9, 2016

AAP; Photo: Nine News