11 More Homes Destroyed by Kilauea Lava

A moving furnace of molten rock from Kilauea Volcano slid through a coastal subdivision Friday, destroying 11 homes and forcing about 400 people to evacuate.

“We just lost 10 homes. It’s just going right through the subdivision. A lot of other homes are in danger and we fear that more will be lost,” said Harry Kim, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator.

An hour later, an 11th home in the 100-house subdivision was destroyed, bringing to 24 the number of homes destroyed since the flow began reaching the Kalapana area on Nov. 26.

Covering 200 Feet an Hour

The molten rock, which burns and crushes everything in its path, was moving forward in surges, covering 200 to 300 feet an hour, Kim said.

Hawaii County Mayor Dante Carpenter estimated losses at about $5 million.

The flows are being fed by a vent eight miles away in Kilauea’s east rift zone, where 2,000-degree magma is pouring out of the ground.

The activity has been constant since July 18, but it was not until late last month that any of the flows reached a populated area.

Homes Ordered Evacuated

Evacuation of 58 homes was ordered Thursday night as the 450-foot-wide leading edge of the flow crossed the two-lane Kalapana Highway and entered the Kalapana Gardens subdivision.

The remaining 35 homes in the subdivision and more than a dozen other homes in surrounding areas were ordered evacuated Friday.