Kilauea Lava Flow Claims First Residential Building

At 11:55 a.m. Monday, lava from Kilauea Volcano reached a “residential structure or house,” according to Hawai’i County Civil Defense.

The house was set on fire by the lava. Emergency personnel are at the scene of the blaze. Civil Defense says that smoke is “rising and dissipating” from the structure.

Smoke is blowing in the south-southwest direction and moving toward lower Puna, according to Civil Defense, and considered to be heavy moderate to heavy as light trade winds are blowing.

No other properties are in any current danger from the June 27 lava flow, which has stalled at its front about 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said lava that reached the property comes from a new breakout that Monday morning that a new breakout had formed above Apa’a Street on the north side of the flow yesterday. It crossed Apa’a Street yesterday and was within five yards of the garage of the residential property this morning.

Another sluggish moving lobe was moving toward the Pahoa Transfer Station. HVO says that lava is moving at about three yards per hour. Other sluggish breakouts are happening downslope of the cemetery.