The troops are assisting local police with security patrols of five neighborhoods that have been evacuated because they are in the lava's path, said Maj. Jeff Hickman of the Hawaii National Guard. Many local residents are afraid looters will target the abandoned homes, Hickman said.
The slowly moving strip of lava was about 480 feet from Pahoa Village Road, the town's main street, Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said at a morning news conference.
