VOLCANO >> Civil Defense officials on the Big Island believe the trailhead of the Kalapana viewing area is safe from a tongue of lava from erupting Kilauea volcano.

Janet Babb is a geologist and spokeswoman at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. She said today that the flow front near the trailhead had stagnated.

Scientists say the front of the flow had come to within 100 yards of the start of the trail, which is several feet above the level of the flow. The trail and its parking area remain open.

Lava covered more of Kalapana access road over the weekend. The eruption that began in 1983 first began to overrun portions of the road in 1990.