A breakout located upslope of the stalled June 27 lava flow front consumed a residence just minutes before noon on Monday, Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said.
The owners of the Cemetery Road structure reside on the mainland, however, a family member from South Kohala was able to be at the scene when the home was consumed by the flow, which is currently about 150 feet wide. Tenants who had resided in the structure left in August as the June 27 lava flow neared Kaohe Homesteads subdivision of Puna, Oliveira said.
The 1,100-square-foot double-wall structure was built in the early to mid 1990s and had an estimated value of $200,000, Oliveira said. It collapsed at 12:35 p.m.
“We did have family members on -site to document as well as to observe the loss of this long-standing property that many generations have shared in,” Oliveira said.
Prior to the home being destroyed, the flow reached and burned between 8:30 and 9 a.m. a 4-foot-by-4-foot corrugated steel garden shed located on the southeastern edge of the property.
The flow as of 3 p.m. remained up against a sidewalk about 2 feet from a garage/barn, which is detached from the residence located off Cemetery Road, Oliveira said. The flow, which is showing signs of widening, is moving about 5 yards per hour.
The garage and destroyed home are located about 500 feet upslope of the flow front, which remained stalled shortly before noon Monday, he said. The next home closest to the home is some 400 to 500 yards downslope.
The breakout affecting the structures crossed Apaa Street and entered the private property on Sunday morning.
Smoke conditions are reported as moderate to heavy with light trade winds pushing the smoke in a south-southwest direction toward Leilani Estates and Lower Puna. Smoke conditions may increase in some areas and residence downwind that may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take necessary precautions and to remain indoors.
Officials are also monitoring two other breakouts associated with the flow including one that remains about 25 feet from the fence of the Pahoa Transfer Station and another about 0.47 miles upslope of Apaa Street that continues to move in a north-northeast direction.
While the breakouts upslope are advancing, the June 27 lava flow front remains stalled some 480 feet mauka of Pahoa Village Road. The flow, which is seeing very little activity at its front edge, has not advanced since Oct. 30, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
“There’s no activity on the flow front to the cemetery,” Oliveira said. “It’s very quiet down there. No breakouts. It’s very quiet as we can see.”
Despite the decrease in flow activity, residents in the flow path remain on an evacuation advisory and possible need for evacuation.
Pahoa Village Road, between Apaa Street and Post Office Road, remains closed with access limited to area residents only. Civil Defense and public safety personnel will be operating in the area round the clock to maintain close observations of flow activity.
Highway 130 remains open. The lava flow remains just under a half-mile from the state highway. Beach Road is open to traffic. Railroad Avenue remains closed as it traditionally has been.
Work on re-establishing Chain of Craters Road, which would be the only means of accessing Lower Puna should the flow cross Highway 130, continues. It should be complete in early December.