A breakout from the June 27 lava flow is now within 3.1 miles of Apaa Street in Pahoa, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Thursday morning.
A breakout from the June 27 lava flow is now within 3.1 miles of Apaa Street in Pahoa, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Thursday morning.
An overflight Thursday morning showed that the upslope breakouts remain active with surface breakouts and breakouts along the edges of the original lava flow pad, according to Civil Defense. The most active breakout, which is also the closest to Apaa Street, is located along the north side of the flow pad.
“It’s still very early and it’s still a ways up there and it’s been historically difficult to forecast with accuracy any kind of impact,” Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said Wednesday about when the lava could near the Apaa Street area.
Officials will continue to monitor the flow through the Thanksgiving Day holiday and over the weekend, he said. Currently, the breakout does not pose an immediate threat to area communities.
Smoke conditions were reported as light to moderate with all smoke from burning vegetation being blown in a southeast direction. Smoke conditions may increase in some areas and residents that may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take precautions and to remain indoors.
Between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, the breakout advanced downslope about 250 yards, according to the United States Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The observatory’s scientists determined earlier this week that lava was no longer moving through the tube system below a breakout located 3.5 miles above Apaa Street. Mike Poland, a geophysicist with the observatory, said Wednesday that while lava from the breakout is now closer to Apaa Street, it had not entered the tube system.
“It is creeping downslope and not reoccupying that tube,” he said Wednesday. “That is not to say it can’t happen but it is not happening at this time.”
An evacuation notice for those living in the immediate threat of the flow has been lifted, Oliveira confirmed Monday. While residents are no longer on notice, he urged that residents remain vigilant.
The county is also continuing to meet with area stakeholders about opening a public viewing and educational site near the Pahoa Transfer Station on Apaa Street, Oliveira said Wednesday. The next stakeholders meeting is slated for Dec. 3.
“We are working very hard on trying to provide for a managed observation viewing or site seeing up near the transfer station in an environment that would allow us to put a lot of the infrastructure to support viewing or sight seeing as well as some education opportunities,” he said.
Breakouts in the vicinity of Apaa Street that stalled earlier this month remain at a standstill, as does the June 27 lava flow’s leading edge, which has not advanced since Oct. 30 when it came within 480 feet of Pahoa Village Road.
Scientists have said the halt is likely the result of a large breakout from the lava tube at Kahaualea, a small forested puu located about 1.1 mile below Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent, that affected the supply of lava to the tube downslope. The breakout occurred as Kilauea appeared to return to the inflation period of the inflation-deflation cycle. Inflation begins when magma rises into the summit reservoir.