Residents playing the waiting game

Pahoa, Hawaii » Lava ignited small fires behind Pahoa Village Road on Wednesday night while a resident stood with her Pahoa neighbors and watched in awe.

"It’s supposed to hit this road by midnight, but I doubt it," Theresa Zendejas said.

Zendejas spent the day Wednesday preparing for a possible evacuation and talking story with her neighbors, all of whom were playing the "wait-and-see" game.

Hawaii County officials said earlier this week that an evacuation order seemed close at hand Tuesday but backed off and have continued to monitor the slow-moving lava.

Zendejas said it appears as if it’s anyone’s guess when she should move, if at all.

"I’d like to stay if I can get in and out of my street," she said. "If the breathing part bothers me, then I’ll leave."

She and her husband decided to take a stroll down the blocked-off road Wednesday evening to see if they could capture a glimpse of the flow. Along the way, the couple ran into neighbor John Hutchinson.

Hutchinson, who said his house is situated parallel to the flow, handed off a jump drive to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser with pictures of the lava seen from his front yard.

"People need to see this," he said. "This is history."

Hutchinson then left the area while Zendejas and her husband took a few last-minute looks at the flow.

"The one good thing about all this is that it’s getting me up and moving," she said.

Zendejas has lived on Hawaii island for more than 20 years and said she’s never seen the lava up close.

"Never in my life have I experienced anything like this," she said.

Since the flow began picking up speed last week, Zendejas has made headlines as the outspoken, charming and self-proclaimed 80-year-old "island girl." She’s seen an influx of visitors at her front door, too.

"You know how many people, my goodness, come to my gate? A lot. Oh, my gosh," she said.

The influx of tourists and media attention caused Hawaii County officials to block off access to Apaa Street and parts of Pahoa Village Road for security purposes.

Still, media outlets and others are doing their best to get the story.

"This morning I got a phone call from Al Jazeera! Who the heck is that?" she asked, laughing.

During an interview at her house earlier that day, Zendejas said that sometimes she feels anxiety from not knowing what’s going to happen, but in the end she’s doing her best to see the silver lining.

"I’m living on a living, breathing island," she said. "It’s awesome. It’s magical. When you sit here long enough, you’re going to feel that."

She also said her current situation is one that others in Pele’s path should pay attention to.

"Yeah, don’t wait until the last minute to pack," she advised. "You cannot wait two or three days to pack. It’s impossible."

When asked if she has had any positive experiences throughout the process, she responded: "Life is positive. What can I say? You have to do what we have to do. We have no control over Mother Nature. We don’t. We just go with the flow."