PAHOA, Hawaii » A molten river that overran a Buddhist cemetery and buried it in lava Sunday was on the verge Monday night of claiming the first home in its path.

Two houses and several outbuildings on a Pahoa anthurium farm lie directly in the lava’s path: The first is a rental home 70 yards away, followed by the farmhouse. Beyond those structures, a half-dozen homes stand between the lava and Pahoa Village Road, which runs through the heart of town.

As the lava approached Sunday, the couple in the rental house closest to the flow stood on the second floor admiring the view of the flow as it inched closer, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oli­veira.

"They were very upbeat and positive," Oli­veira said.

Those whose loved ones are buried in the mostly Buddhist cemetery held a solemn ceremony for the dead before lava inundated Cemetery Road on Saturday and then covered graves Sunday.

It’s been 123 days since the June 27 lava flow first made its way out of the Puu Oo crater from Hawaii island’s Kilauea Volcano.

Representatives from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawaii County Civil Defense said that as of Monday the flow was about 520 yards from Pahoa Village Road and 70 yards from affecting the nearest residential area.

The flow had moved 35 yards northeast since Monday morning. The advance has been inconsistent but averaging 5 to 10 yards an hour.

Smoke was light to moderate, with moderate tradewinds pushing it to the south-southwest.

Oliveira also told media crews on site Monday that one shelter had opened up at the Sure Foundation in Pahoa. While residents were not at the shelters yet, Oli­veira said he wanted to express special thanks to the church for opening its doors.

Meanwhile, residents gathered on Pahoa Village Road by Post Office Road to talk about their concerns.

The area from Apaa Street toward the Post Office Road was closed all day Monday in preparation for the lava flow. Hawaiian Electric Light Co. crews were also performing maintenance work.

The county Department of Water Supply announced Monday that customers north of the lava flow along Pahoa Village Road, including Apaa Street, as well as along Highway 130 from Keone­poko Standpipe/Spigot Station up to and including the upper portion of Kaha­kai Boulevard, should expect a change in water pressure because of the lava.

According to a news release, should the flow reach Pahoa Village Road, valves will be shut down on each side of the lava. The water system pressure is expected to decrease by about 50 pounds per square inch.

Also starting Monday, the area’s Hele-On bus schedule changed. The bus will no longer stop in front of the Pahoa 7-Eleven, nor will it continue to provide service at Pahoa School.

New stops have been established along Highways 130 and 132.

The new bus stops include:

» Northbound: Highway 132 at New Hope Church Sign, Highway 130 at Homestead Road (Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science) and Highway 130 at Pahoa Fire/Police Station.

» Southbound: Highway 130 at Malama Market, Highway 130 at Homestead Road (Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science) and Highway 132 across from the New Hope Church sign.

The next lava flow community update meeting will be held with representatives from Hawaii County Civil Defense and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pahoa High School Cafeteria.

The county also established an Incident Command Center and Informational Resource Center at the Pahoa Community Center, where residents are able to ask questions from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.