Advance of lava covers 75 feet, ignites brush fire

The Kilauea lava flow continues to slow, advancing about 75 yards since Saturday, according to the Civil Defense overflight assessment Sunday morning.

The flow moved into lighter vegetation and started a brush fire Saturday above Apaa Road mauka of Highway 130.

The fire was reported at 2:45 p.m. and is believed to have started when lava moved through light brush in a vacant lot.

The fire was contained, and no properties or structures are threatened, Civil Defense said.

The slowed rate of the flow might be due to a reduction in the lava supply, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said on its website. But that could change quickly in the coming days, scientists said.

The flow is about 1.4 miles upslope from Apaa Street on the outskirts of Pahoa and has advanced 10.2 miles from its source at Puu Oo crater.

Small breakouts also remain active closer to Puu Oo, midway along the length of the so-called June 27 flow. None of these breakouts has been vigorous recently, but some are producing smoke plumes as they creep into the adjacent forest.