Lava flow ‘very much active’ although front is still stalled
Only a handful of small breakouts were active along the leading tip of the flow on Wednesday.
PAHOA, Hawaii » The path of the lava oozing from Kilauea Volcano remained uncertain Friday as the flow sat not far from Pahoa’s main highway.
Lava from the flow’s most active breakout remains 0.4 mile from the Pahoa police and fire stations, where it hasn’t made headway since Wednesday.
Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said the flow was widening and exhibiting some signs of inflation.
Meanwhile, two other breakouts along the north margin of the flow that are on a path toward an area of Highway 130 near the Maku‘u Farmers Market showed little activity and had gained no ground.
But the flow is still "very much active," Steve Brantley, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge, explained to a small group of Puna residents who were at the Pahoa High School cafeteria for a community meeting Thursday night.
Since lava moved into Pahoa in October, it’s crossed Apaa Street, overtaken a Buddhist cemetery and destroyed multiple structures including a home. The lava also penetrated the fence of the Pahoa Recycling and Transfer Station a few months ago, where public viewing of the lava will end come March 1. The transfer station will reopen its services to residents at that time.
In the past week, multiple businesses announced plans to return to the Pahoa Marketplace after closing down before Christmas because lava was expected to reach the area but instead stalled.
