Members of Hawaii's National Guard have been called into the town of Pahoa to assist the residents as the slow-moving yet unrelenting lava from Kilauea volcano is now only a hundred feet away from homes.
Couple Jeff and Denise Lagrimas have started packing their things, taking cups and bowls from kitchen cabinets and putting them into cardboard boxes. "You just never know. I don't want to stick around and just wait for it to come and take it," she told AP.
Paul Utes, owner of the Black Rock Café, described to Reuters the lava onslaught as torturing. "It speeds up, it slows down. It speeds up, it slows down. The anxiety building up is kind of hard to deal with." The U.S. Geological Survey forecast the main road in Pahoa will be overcome with lava by Friday morning.
With the imminent fire scenario the lava onslaught can bring, 80 members of the National Guard have been sent to man the security around Pahoa. The troops, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira, have also been told to help build a roadblock in the area. Travelling at about 5 to 10 yards an hour, Kilauea volcano's lava was about 225 yards away from Pahoa Village Road was of late Wednesday. The town has about 1,000 people.
Already, the lava flow had burned tires and other materials as it entered private property next to the main road. An empty garden shed was also burned down. Officials warned at least 50 or 60 structures, including homes and businesses, could potentially burn down.
The slow-moving catastrophic event started in June when Kilauea volcano vented and then released the river of liquid rock. The lava then began moving toward Pahoa. The USGS said it could take as long as 30 years before for the volcano to spew out all its contents. Troy Scott of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said residents would be given a chance to see the lava gobble up their community "to allow them to have their closure."
The AP reported dozens of homes, business and other structures are in the area of the lava flow.
Burning debris can be seen in the lava flow from Mount Kilauea that is inching closer to the village of Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014. The slow-moving river of molten lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano crept over residential and farm property on Hawaii's Big Island on Wednesday after incinerating an outbuilding as it threatened dozens of homes at the edge of the former plantation town. REUTERS/Marco GarciaREUTERS/Marco GarciaResidents and onlookers look out towards the area where the lava flow from the Kilauea volcano has reached the town in Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014. A slow-moving river of molten lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano crept over residential and farm property on Hawaii's Big Island on Wednesday after incinerating an outbuilding as it threatened dozens of homes at the edge of the former plantation town. REUTERS/Marco GarciaREUTERS/Marco GarciaA construction crew tries to contain the lava flow from Mount Kilauea in Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014. The slow-moving river of molten lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano crept over residential and farm property on Hawaii's Big Island on Wednesday after incinerating an outbuilding as it threatened dozens of homes at the edge of the former plantation town. REUTERS/Marco GarciaREUTERS/Marco GarciaConstruction crews attempt to protect power lines as a lava flow from erupting volcano Kilauea approaches the village of Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014. The slow-moving river of molten lava crept across a residential property on Hawaii's Big Island early on Wednesday after incinerating an outbuilding as it threatened dozens of homes and businesses at the edge of the seaside town. REUTERS/Marco GarciaREUTERS/Marco GarciaThe lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano burns vegetation as it approaches a property boundary in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) image taken near the village of Pahoa, Hawaii, October 28, 2014. A slow-moving river of molten lava from an erupting volcano flowed through a residential property on Hawaii's Big Island, threatening dozens more homes and businesses, authorities said. The lava has been heading toward the town of Pahoa for weeks, with recent speeds averaging around 15 yards (13.7 meters) an hour. Picture taken October 28, 2014. REUTERS/U.S. Geological Survey/HandoutREUTERS/U.S. Geological SurveyThe flow of lava from the Kilauea Volcano is pictured near the village of Pahoa, Hawaii in this October 27, 2014 aerial handout photo. A slow-moving river of molten lava from an erupting volcano flowed through a residential property on Hawaii's Big Island, threatening dozens more homes and businesses, authorities said. The lava has been heading toward the town of Pahoa for weeks, with recent speeds averaging around 15 yards (13.7 meters) an hour. REUTERS/USGS/Handout via Reuters REUTERS/USGS/Handout via Reute
