The state land board voted Friday to extend the closure of the Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve in Puna for another two years.
The state land board voted Friday to extend the closure of the Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve in Puna for another two years.
The 22,521-acre reserve contains a portion of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent and lands covered by the ongoing June 27 lava flow.
It’s been closed to public access since July 25, 2007, because of safety concerns from volcanic activity. The decision by the Board of Land and Natural Resources extends the closure through July 25, 2017.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said the closure extension is supported by Hawaii County Civil Defense and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The Hawaii Fire Department has responded to 22 incidents involving lost hikers in the reserve area since May 2008, according to DLNR.
HVO reported Thursday that the lava flow was active about 5.1 miles from the vent, and advanced after entering an old lava tube. An aerial photograph showed its most distal edge burning forest after exiting the tube through a sky light.
Other images HVO published Thursday on its website showed the lava flow mostly covering Pu‘u Kahaualea within the forest reserve.
Seismic activity at Kilauea remained at background levels after a spike in earthquakes near the summit that ended at the start of the week.
The lava lake at Halema‘uma‘u also remained below the vent rim after spilling over earlier this month.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.