A week ago the active Kilauea lava flow from the Pu’u O’o vent in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park crossed over a county road (Apa’a Street) and headed onto private property. It destroyed several fence lines, a Buddhist cemetery, some agricultural sheds and a pile of abandoned automobile tires. This particular flow started up on 6/27/14 heading in the northeast direction, and is about 13 miles from Pu’u O’o.
It is now a few hundred feet in front of the first residence in its path, owned by Alfred Lee, a bulldozer contractor. Mr. Lee apparently has built up a berm (dirt/gravel wall, with a sunken area) on the sides of his property, and in front of the lava flow, up to 12 feet high to protect his property. Read more about that controversial berm in the local Big Island newspaper Hawaii Tribune-Herald. He was recently photographed shooting down the front of the flow with water from a hose (which in the past has been done by Hawaii County firefighters to attempt to slow down the slow-moving lava).
The lava flow has now stalled in the front, but is experiencing breakouts in the rear, mauka (moutainside) areas. Above is the latest 10/31/14 USGS map of the flow, with the newer areas marked in bright red.
