Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HI)
Kilauea Lava Flows On The Move Again
A vigorous lava flow that started a wildfire on February 10 buried another section of Chain of Craters Road last Thursday and forced the moving of visitor facilities and the evacuation of a family of birds. Maintenance crews were able to load up a number of portable buildings, signs and a bulletin board and move them out of the way of the advancing lava flow. A family of nene, the endangered Hawaiian goose and Hawaii’s state bird, was also relocated, as the mating pair and their offspring were too close to the molten rock for comfort. Meanwhile, firefighters worked to prevent the spread of the fire, which was burning upslope and had covered about 2,000 acres by early this week. Chain of Craters Road was closed until Sunday because of the brush fire. Within hours of reopening, several thousand people had driven to the end of the road and hiked a three-quarter-mile long trail to see the lava flowing into the ocean. The line of cars parked along the road stretched for more than two miles.
[Submitted by Paul Ducasse, Chief Ranger, and Mardie Lane, Park Ranger]
NPS Morning Report Feb. 19, 2003
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