Slow-moving lava hits first house in Hawaii town
Officials say a stream of lava has hit the first home in a rural Hawaii town that has been watching the slow-moving flow for months.
The molten rock hit the house Monday, and officials are expecting the house to burn down within 30 to 40 minutes. The occupants have already left the residence in Pahoa, the largest town in the Big Island's isolated and mostly agricultural Puna district.
The lava from Kilauea (kih-luh-WAY'-uh) volcano emerged from a vent in June and entered Pahoa Oct. 26.
The leading edge of the flow has stalled, but lava is breaking away at several spots upslope. The lava is 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road, which runs through downtown.
Crews have been working on alternate routes in case the flow crosses Puna's main roads.
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This Nov. 9, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano that began on June 27 as it pours from an active breakout near the Pahoa transfer station on the Big Island of Hawaii. A small flow of lava moved closer to a now-closed refuse transfer station on Hawaii's Big Island, but the main area of the molten rock hasn't crept any closer to the small town of Pahoa, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey) -
This Nov. 9, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano that began on June 27 as approaches a new steel power pole that is surrounded by a cinder barrier along Cemetery Road and Apa?a Street near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. A small flow of lava moved closer to a now-closed refuse transfer station on Hawaii's Big Island, but the main area of the molten rock hasn't crept any closer to the small town of Pahoa, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey) -
This Nov. 9, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano that began on June 27 near the Pahoa cemetery looking northeast toward houses on Pahoa Village Road on the Big Island of Hawaii. A small flow of lava moved closer to a now-closed refuse transfer station on Hawaii's Big Island, but the main area of the molten rock hasn't crept any closer to the small town of Pahoa, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey) -
This Nov. 8, 2014 photo from the U.S. Geological Survey shows a breakout, or area where lava oozes to the side of a flow upslope of the stalled leading edge, about 400 meters (0.25 miles) upslope of Cemetery Road near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii County civil defense officials said in a statement Saturday the lava's front remains about 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road. This position hasn't changed since Oct. 30. But lava is creeping out at several spots upslope of the leading edge. (AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey) -
This Nov. 7, 2014 photo from the U.S. Geological Survey shows a time lapse camera that USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory scientists were using to monitor a lava tube skylight near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. The camera was caught in an overflow of lava surrounding the tripod and melted the power cable. Hawaii County civil defense officials said in a statement Saturday the lava's front remains about 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road. This position hasn't changed since Oct. 30. But lava is creeping out at several spots upslope of the leading edge.(AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey)
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Slow-moving lava hits first house in Hawaii town (2014, November 10)
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