Lava oozes into drainage ditch
Kilauea's East rift zone lava flow has not advanced any closer to Pahoa Marketplace as of Tuesday, but is still active.
PAHOA, Hawaii » A narrow two-fingered flow of lava about 1.6 miles upslope of the Pahoa Marketplace moved 50 yards from Wednesday to Thursday.
These two breakouts are active along the northern margin of the flow and are heading north-northeast, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense.
Meanwhile the leading edge, or flow tip, remains stalled about 880 yards from the intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road, where it hasn’t moved since Friday, Civil Defense said.
The new lobe of lava has entered a drainage ditch that leads to the steepest-descent path that crosses Highway 130 about a half-mile south of the Makuʻu Farmers Market, but the flow is still 2.2 miles upslope from the highway and moving slowly, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
There’s also some surface activity about 0.5 to 2 miles upslope of the Pahoa Marketplace.
In addition, breakouts farther upslope, near the True/Mid-Pacific geothermal well pad, are active, volcano scientists said.
Hawaii County has announced new hours of operation at the public lava viewing area at the Pahoa Transfer Station. The area will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
