A contingent of National Guard troops was dispatched to a Hawaii town on Thursday to provide security to the Big Island community threatened by a river of molten lava that is slowly creeping toward the town's main road, an emergency official said.
The lava flow from the Kilauea volcano has been slithering toward the village of Pahoa for weeks and at last watch was advancing at less than 5 yards (meters) an hour, said Darryl Oliveira, director of Hawaii County Civil Defense.
On Thursday morning, a contingent of 83 National Guard troops was traveling in a road convoy and expected to arrive later in the day in the community, where some residents have expressed concern about potential looters targeting evacuated homes.