Hawaii activates National Guard as lava flow nears critical highway

TIL Desk/World/Honolulu/ The world’s largest active volcano, the Mauna Loa in Hawaii, has prompted the US National Guard to help as residents and tourists flock to witness the rare scene. Since its eruption on November 27, Mauna Loa has been shooting jets of lava toward the sky and down the massive mountain.

While officials said there is still no immediate risk to communities on Hawaii’s Big Island, lava has now crept within 2 miles of the main highway connecting the eastern and western halves of the Big Island. “The leading edge of the lava flow continues to have minimal movement … and is approximately 2 miles from Daniel K. Inouye highway,” the County of Hawaii’s hazards website said on Tuesday. “It does not pose a threat to any communities at this time.”

During the past 24 hours, the lava flow advanced at an average rate of about 25 feet per hour (8 metres per hour), according to the update of the US Geological Survey (USGS) on Monday. Though the advance rate has slowed in the past several days, the lava flow remains active with a continuous supply from one active fissure, known as the fissure 3 vent, according to the USGS.