Dozens of Hawaiians could be forced from their home by a scorching hot lava flow which has been oozing towards them for months.

Officials are preparing to evacuate residents of Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, after the stream of molten rock came within a kilometer of the settlement.

The flow, which is 230 yards wide, is now advancing at ten yards per hour, kicking up toxic fumes as it burns over an asphalt road.

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Burning ahead: The 2,000-degree lava flow, pictured burning its way down Apa'a Street, Pahoa, Hawaii, could hit homes in three to five days

Locals have been warned to expect an evacuation in the next three to five days as the 2,000-degree molten rock from Kilauea volcano draws closer.

Kilauea erupts constantly, but the lava usually flows away from settlements. The current flow has been slowly approaching Pahoa since June.

It's not clear exactly when it might reach the village road as the flow has been advancing erratically, said Matt Patrick, a geologist with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Danger: The flows could destroy homes and buildings, as well as kicking off toxic fumes as it burns down its trajectory. The molten rock can also cause dangerous methane explosions along its track

Usually lava from Kilauea, which started erupting in 1983, flows south, enveloping the Kalapana and Royal Garden residential subdivisions as it poured out to sea.

For the past two years, however, the lava has been flowing to the northeast, bringing it to Pahoa's doorsteps.

Officials were going door-to door to about 50 homes to keep residents informed of the lava's movement, said Darryl Oliveira, the director of civil defense for Hawaii County.

'This is all something we've been preparing for and hoping wouldn't have to happen,' Oliveira said.

The county will issue a mandatory evacuation order if the flow begins advancing at such a rate that it would be difficult for people to move out of the way with little notice, Oliveira said.

Burning asphalt was generating some smoke, but Oliveira said the wind dispersed the fumes over unpopulated areas and it didn't pose a health risk at the moment.

Oliveira said the current situation differs from the flows of past decades because the lava is now approaching the center of a community. Pahoa is not only more densely populated, he said, but it also has commercial and industrial sites as well as residential homes.

Route: The lava has oozed towards Pahoa since June, when flows from the Kilauea volcano changed path

Cooler: In the photograph above, geologists walk along a cooled lava flow higher up the stream

The current flow that has been threatening Pahoa began in June. It's been moving fitfully toward the town for weeks, speeding up and then slowing down.

Sporadic suspensions in the lava's movement gave emergency crews time to work on building alternate routes to town in the event the flow covers the main road and highway.

Crews near the leading edge have been wrapping power poles with concrete rings as a layer of protection from the lava's heat.

The lava's pace picked up in recent days when it reached a gully, allowing it to move more efficiently like rain in a gutter.