Lava advances 40 yards overnight
In this Tuesday photo from a Civil Defense overflight of the lava, smoke from an advancing lava flow can be seen upslope of Highway 130, the Pahoa Marketplace and Apaa Street.
This map prepared by Hawaii County Civil Defense shows the lava flow as of Tuesday.
This Tuesday photo taken during an overflight of the lava flow shows surface lava activity upslope of the stalled flow fronts.
A small lava breakout on the south margin of the lava flow above Pahoa advanced about 40 yards overnight.
The breakout is about .7 miles upslope of Highway 130, Hawaii County Civil Defense officials said after a helicopter overflight Tuesday morning.
Officials describe the active breakout as "sluggish," and widening.
The flow had advanced about 200 yards upslope of the Malama Market over the weekend, but did not advance Monday.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said scattered lava activity west of Kaohe Homesteads also continues.
Another breakout on the north flank of Pu’u ‘O’o was also active.
The lava activity is not immediate threat to Pahoa, civil defense said.
The northern tip of the flow 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, scientists said. One breakout triggered a small brush fire last week.
