Lava from a 6-year-old eruption of Kilauea Volcano destroyed a maintenance building and was threatening the visitors center at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, an official said.

By Wednesday night, lava covered three-fourths of the parking lot with its glowing leading edge marked by flaming asphalt."We could stand there and watch it inflating," said Jon Erickson, a park spokesman.

The lava had moved to about 50 feet of the visitors center, which was stripped of its displays and evacuated Tuesday.

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The eruption began Jan. 3, 1983, from a vent 2,000 feet up Kilauea Volcano. The vent is seven miles from the visitors center.

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