MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) — Lava from the Kilauea volcano stopped short from the main road on Pahoa on the Big Island, Hawaii, officials reported Saturday.
Director of Hawaii County civil defense Darryl Oliveira said that some lava has been breaking out along the sides of the flow, but it is moving slowly, according to AP.
"At this point, there's very little activity taking place that's posing any increased threat to the residents or the community," Oliveira said.
The flow stopped 146 meters from the main road on Pahoa, a village with 1,000 residents.
Lava has been creeping down the volcano towards the northeast since June.
Last weekend, it crossed a country road, and then smothered part of a cemetery, toppled trees and burned tires and grass.
About 50 Pahoa households were alerted by authorities to be prepared to evacuate.
Fire from the lava generated light to moderate smoke Saturday. The smoke was pushed by trade winds toward the south and southwest.
The situation is still risky, however, according to Oliveira. Someone posing as a government inspector approached a resident living within a blocked-off zone Friday and asked access to a private property. Government officials do not conduct such inspections to assess damages, Oliveira remarked.
On Thursday morning, a contingent of National Guard troops was dispatched to Pahoa to provide security for community, according to Reuters.
Kilauea has erupted continuously from its Pu’u O’o vent since 1983. The latest flow began on June 27. The last home destroyed by lava on the Big Island in Kalapana was in 2012.
