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Hawaii News

Lava advances some 600 feet, but Pahoa is not yet in danger

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COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Summit deflation over the past few days has been associated with a steadily dropping lava lake level. On Sunday morning the lake was 240 feet below the rim of the overlook crater.

Lava from Kilauea Volcano advanced about 200 yards along the southern flank of the stalled flow front from Saturday morning to Sunday, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported.

The leading edge of that breakout is about 0.8 mile to the west or mauka of Highway 130, the main artery through the area.

That and other activity show that the eruption remains robust.

But there is no immediate threat to Pahoa, civil defense said.

The tip of the flow that began June 27 remains about 550 yards from Highway 130 in an area west of the Pahoa police and fire stations, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Lava breakouts upslope, behind the stalled front, for the most part are within the margins of the flow, not covering new ground. One breakout triggered a small brush fire last week.

 

The breakout along the north margin of the stalled flow tip is still active but sluggish, the scientists reported Sunday. The leading edge of that flow is about a mile from Highway 130.

The breakout on the south side of the flow’s front lobe, about a half-mile from Malama Market, is no longer advancing toward the market, but continues to widen.

West of Kaohe Homesteads are scattered breakouts that have been active for the past month, the observatory said on its website.

Smoke conditions were light Sunday, with a weak northwest wind

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