Homeowner shares a glass of wine with friend, as his house is engulfed by lava

Man sees home burn to toast

Homeowner shares a glass of wine with friend, as his house is engulfed by lava

When the end finally came in the early house of Sunday morning, the lava crept slowly towards the front of the two-storey wooden house in the Kalapana Gardens neighbourhood of Hawaii's Big Island, setting fire to the outdoor stairs before it even reached the building.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the lava was moving at a speed of 250ft in 24 hours.

By sunrise, all that could still be seen of Mr Sleik's modest home was the roof and water tank.

Relief
Watching the destruction of his home with a close friend, Darlene Cripps, and a bottle of wine, Sleik admitted that he felt relief that the ordeal was finally over.

It was hardly a surprise. The town of nearby Kalapana was destroyed and partly buried in 1990 by lava flow that created a new coastline.

A few people still live there but the town remains cut off to anyone without a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Tourist spot
Lava-watching is a popular local attraction.

The plumes of steam that result when it reaches the sea, as it did again on Sunday, is a sight that draws thousands of visitors to the area.

Kilauea, one of five volcanoes from which the island is formed, has been emitting continuously since 1983.
According to local legend, Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, lives inside Kilauea and the eruptions are manifestations of her anger.

About Kilauea
1) Kilauea is one of five shield volcanoes that together form the Island of Hawaii
2) The rock is more than 23,000 years old
3) Thirty-three eruptions have taken place since 1952
4) In Hawaiian mythology,
5) Kilauea is where most of the conflict between Pele and the rain god Kamapuaa took place

Did you know?
In Hawaiian, the word ki-lauea means spewing in reference to the mountain's frequent outpouring of lava

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