A broad lava flow cascaded toward a Hawaii geothermal power station Saturday, posing a new hazard as molten rock from the erupting Kilauea volcano bulldozed relentlessly through homes and backyards.
The lava was less than half a mile (800 meters) from the Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV), according to the U.S. Geological Survey, having destroyed dozens of nearby houses in the past few days.
Since Hawaii's Kilauea volcano began a once-in-a-century-scale eruption May 3, authorities have shutdown the plant, removed 60,000 gallons (230,000 liters) of flammable liquid and deactivated wells that tap into steam and gas deep in the Earth's core.