Lava flow from volcano advances on Hawaii's Big Island

A slow-moving lava flow from an erupting volcano on Hawaii's Big Island continued its arduous trek Wednesday (November 12), engulfing an industrial complex that processes waste and recycling, two days after the flow destroyed its first home.

Residents of about 50 homes in the projected path of the lava have been making preparations to flee for weeks, many emptying their houses of belongings in case an evacuation became necessary.

Pahoa, a town of about 800 people, stands on the site of a former sugar cane plantation on the eastern edge of the Big Island. Most of the town's business district lies to the south of the area in greatest danger.

Kilauea's current eruption began in 1983, and the flow of lava that has menaced Pahoa began bubbling out of the volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on June 27 and has crept a distance of 13 1/2 miles since then. The leading edge of the lava can reach temperatures of about 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit (1,149 degrees Celsius).

Previous lava flo