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On June 27th 2014,
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a large lava flow broke out on the northeast
side of Pu'u O'o, and began to head east.
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It cut through miles of forest during the summer
and by October it was approaching Pahoa.
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Apa'a Road and the Pahoa Transfer Station
were closed and emergency preparations began.
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With the lava burning through fields
only a few hundred yards away,
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help co-workers hurried to protect power
poles in its path. The poles were surrounded
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with insulation cement blocks
and a big pile of cinder
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to keep the lava from burning
the wooden poles.
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Lava ran directly into one of the power
poles as it crossed the Apa'a road in
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the early morning hours of October 25th.
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The power pole was completely surrounded
but survived the intense heat of the flow.
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The protection worked.
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Below the road the lava flow
continued down through pasture,
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burning or burying fences and crumpling
a metal shed along the way.
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The flows entered the top of the Sugimoto's
property on October 28th and burned through
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their Macadamian nut orchard.
Listen for the methane blasts.
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These happen when gas from
burning roots ignites and explodes.
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The lava burned things like this pile of
old tires but old trucks and pieces of metal
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got covered or embedded in the lava.
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Fire and civil defense workers were there
to make sure everyone was safe.
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The lava flow started out only a few feet high
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but over three days this lava inflated until
it overflowed five foot high dirt walls.
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This sped-up video shows how lava
flows inflate like a balloon.
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The outside crust moves up as lava
continues to fill the inside of the flow.
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Some flows can get pushed up to higher
than the top of a school bus.
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The lower flows stop before they reach
the village road or any homes in Pahoa
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but on November 10th a new flow broke out
near Apa'a road and moved toward an empty house.
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One branch of the flow moved along the road
and into the driveway and another flowed
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right up to the edge of the garage building
but stopped just a few feet away.
