Lava flow stalls, still could wipe out Hawaii town

PAHOA, Hawaii -- Paradise remained in peril Sunday night in Hawaii as a lava flow spread sideways, threatening to wipe out a town, reports CBS SF Bay Area.

From a helicopter just 100-feet over the lava, smoke could be smelled and heat could be felt.

"It was really scary, but obviously she's making a warning," Hanalei Benn told the station.

The "she" Hanalei was talking about is Pele, the goddess of the volcano. Many Hawaiians believe she's being merciful as the tip of the lava flow has stopped short of cutting the community of Pahoa in half.

"Whether it be the eruption of the volcano, the lava, the ocean, etcetera, they respect everything. And, allowing nature to take its course is one way of respecting nature, the power of nature and not challenging it," said Darryl Oliveira of the Hawaii County Civil Defense.

Residents can only watch as the lava flow continues, and the waiting can be the hardest part.

"You're kind of telling her, 'No, you need to get off my property,' and she's like, 'Hello - no -- this is mine,"' Hanalei said.

One property owner in the lava's potential path has put up barriers to protect his home and divert the flow, but that has created tension in the community because, others feel, it goes against Pele's wishes.

CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reports United States Geological Survey geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said although the leading edge of the lava flow hasn't advanced since Thursday, it was still very active further upslope, with localized breakouts of molten lava along the surface and side margins.

Experts said there'd been no change in activity at the flow front -- it was still 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road.

However, the stall caused active breakouts behind the leading edge to widen the flow by an estimated 22 yards. HVO scientists said the flow front still measured about 60 yards wide, but about 220 yards upslope, it was widening.