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. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday asked for a presidential disaster declaration to get federal help for local emergency crews.