In what is being described as a disaster in slow motion, lava has entered a rural Hawaii town after months of creeping through uninhabited areas of the island.
The lava reached Pahoa earlier this week, crossing a residential street, burning down a garden shed and creeping toward homes and a main road that leads through downtown, according to the Associated Press.
Researchers have confirmed the lava is from Kilauea, one of the most active volcanos in the world. It has been actively erupting since 1983.
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say that they have the tools needed to monitor active volcanos in order to decide if an eruption is imminent. They'll also be able to forecast the path of a lava flow, according to the AP.
Lava is still a natural phenomenon, likes a hurricane, which means some uncertainty remains.
The Big Island's topography "contributes to deviations in the lava's route," said volcanologist Loyc Vanderkluysen, as assistant professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia to the AP. Vanderkluysen earned a doctorate degree from the University of Hawaii.
The lava emerged from a vent back in June and started moving through thick vegetation that made it hard to see deviations in topography at times, he added.
It is looking like the lava is heading to Pahoa Village Road next, which runs through downtown.
"Laterally it might be a little to the right or left, but it will head to the road" - unless it suddenly stops moving, Vanderkluysen said.
What researchers don't know for sure yet is where a new branch will emerge from the miles-long flow and spread in other directions.
"We don't have a good grasp of where breakouts are going to happen," Vanderkluysen said.
The lava is about 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, or "ten times hotter than boiling water," according to Janet Babb, spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The temperature starts to drop after the lava is exposed to air however.
"The crust cools down, and you can walk on it after a few days," Vanderkluysen said.
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