PAHOA, Hawaii — Hawaii officials are checking with residents to see if they need help as fast-moving lava approaches a mostly rural part of the Big Island.
Hawaii County Civil Defense said late Friday afternoon that police, firefighters and National Guard troops are securing the area and stopping people from entering.
About 40 homes are now isolated in the newly affected area east of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens — two neighborhoods where lava has destroyed 40 structures over the past two weeks.
Toxic gases rise near an abandoned home in the Leilani Estates subdivision. State officials said Friday that about 40 homes homes are isolated by new lava flows in a nearby rural area. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP
Officials are using helicopters to assess how many people are still in the newly threatened area.
County officials had been encouraging residents in the district to prepare for potential evacuations. The county is now asking people to stay put and wait for further instructions.
Thoughts on this or any other story? Write a Letter to the Editor. Send to news@civilbeat.org and put Letter in the subject line. 200 words max. You need to use your name and city and include a contact phone for verification purposes. And you can still comment on stories on our Facebook page.
The post Warning: Fast-Moving Lava May Isolate 40 More Big Island Homes appeared first on Honolulu Civil Beat.