Hawaii lava incinerates buildings as residents brace for the inevitable

A lava flow slowly creeping towards the Hawaiian village of Pāhoa claimed its first structure in a residential area on Tuesday, rolling steadily closer to homes.

The lava from Kīlauea volcano moved through private property, swallowing fences and fields in its path.

Footage of the structure, which is on private property but is not a residential building, shows the molten lava incinerating it.

While the community has been preparing for the lava flow for weeks, there is nothing that can be done to prevent it from moving through the village.

For now, residents are forced to wait and watch as the lava flow inches nearer to their community. Overnight Tuesday into the early hours of Wednesday, Pāhoa residents gathered to watch the lava move closer to the village as it glowed in the distant darkness.

Families are gathering along Pāhoa Village Road to watch the #PunaLavaFlow as it moves closer to their homes. Neighbors are sharing stories of how they met and when the moved into the subdivision. Beautiful moment. #MalamaPonoA photo posted by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:27am PDT

Aloha & good morning from Puna! Starting the day with hopes that residents living here along Apa‘a Street, Post Office & Pāhoa Village Road got some rest last night -- though I can imagine that was difficult for most now that the orange glow from the #PunaLavaFlow burning trees and brush is clearly visible from so many of their homes. Neighbors gathered throughout the night to watch the flow as it pushes northeast toward their properties. In addition to sharing information about evacuations and the latest from officials, many of them gathered to simply check in on one another -- offering help moving and wanting to make sure people had a safe place to go, if needed. This is a tight-knit community that is described as being more like extended ‘ohana than a neighborhood and most of the families living here have done so for generations. Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira says he will make sure residents are given more than enough time to safely evacuate should a mandatory order become necessary. He reiterated the county's commitment to providing safe viewing access to those home and property owners who would like to watch the lava flow pass through -- saying it was an important part of the grieving process and often can provide some closure. We're waiting for officials numbers to be updated at daylight but at last check from USGS geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was 340 yards from Pāhoa Village Road and moving at a rate of about 17 yd/hr downslope. They say the flow is 55 yards wide at the leading edge and as wide as 165 yards immediately upslope. We have more coming up in a LIVE report from Pāhoa on @HawaiiNewsNow Sunrise #MalamaPonoA video posted by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on Oct 10, 2014 at 8:54am PDT

As of Wednesday morning, the lava flow was on course for Pāhoa Village road, though it was still several yards away. A U.S. Geological Survey map from Oct. 28 shows the close proximity of the lava flow to the community buildings of the village. It has already covered one roadway and moved through a cemetery.

A map from Oct. 28 shows the most recent movement of the lava flow. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Students and staff of the local Keone­poko Elementary School bid what they hoped would be a temporary farewell to their facility during a ceremony on Tuesday. The state Department of Education is closing several schools in the areas due to the encroaching lava.

According to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, smoke from lava-scorched materials, which includes tires, could potentially be hazardous to residents.

"Residents down wind that may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take necessary precautions and to remain indoors," according to a statement. "Additional health advisories may be issued depending upon materials involved with any fires associated with the lava flow."

This isn't the first time that lava from the Kīlauea volcano has threatened residential areas. After its ongoing Puʻu ʻŌʻō-Kupaianaha eruption began in 1983, it destroyed more than 100 homes and community buildings in the nearby community of Kalapana in 1990.

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