River of Lava Approaches Hawaii Homes

A lava flow is bearing down on homes in Hawaii, with the lava advancing up to 10 yards per hour, officials said.

The lava was within 70 yards of the nearest residential property Monday and continued to advance overnight.

The lava is blistering hot, burying streets and covering trees. Residents in the scenic town of Pahoa on Hawaii's Big Island were forced to flee, powerless to stop the approaching river of lava.

'We don't know what we're going to do,' resident Theresa Zendejas said. 'It's really scary.'

The lava has been spewing from the Kilauea volcano since it erupted in June. The lava flow has traveled 12 miles since then, at times speeding up erratically, recently fanning out to cover more ground.

The flow advanced about 275 yards from Sunday morning to Monday morning, moving northeast at about 10 to 15 yards per hour. At other times, the lava slowed to about two yards per hour or sped up to about 20 yards per hour, depending on topography, said Janet Babb, a spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Officials say there is no way to stop the lava, but they're working to protect power poles from burning and to create detours in case the main road is affected -- which would cut off access for thousands of people. Hawaii officials are making arrangements for those living in the lava's path.

'You can only imagine the frustration as well as ... despair they're going through,' Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said.

Beyond being buried by dozens of feet of hardened black rock, structures could also catch fire by being near the 2,000-degree lava.

Kilauea is the one of the world's most active volcanoes and has been erupting continuously since 1983. Lava flows have destroyed nearby homes in the past, including about 200 homes in the 1990s.

news3blog.blogspot.com contributed to this report.