Pu'u 'O'o lava flow could spark more wildfires
By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
KALAPANA, Hawai'i — The fire that scorched nearly 900 acres inside Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has been extinguished but scientists and rangers fear more outbreaks as the lava flow from Pu'u 'O'o advances to the southwest into new areas.
National Park Service
The fire was extinguished Sunday and officials are monitoring the situation.
A lava-sparked fire burning Monday in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island has been extinguished. But the lava flow continues to pose a fire threat.
The eruption, which started in early 1983, has swung back and forth over a distance of 10 miles from east to west.
There was no estimate yesterday on when this flow, or two others also running down the hillside, might reach the coast and resume an ocean entry.
Firefighters used a global positioning system that helps pinpoint the heart of wildfires and makes the timing of their response more effective, especially for helicopter units that dump water buckets onto the hottest spots.
The policy on responding to fires on federal land varies from park to park, said spokeswoman Mardie Lane. In the case of the Big Island, no fire is allowed to burn itself out, as they sometimes are on the Mainland.
The Big Island policy is to do everything possible to save nonnative plants and prevent damage to potential archaeological features.
Lane said the fire was not weather-related. More than average rainfall has been recorded on the east side of the island over the last five months.
Reach Hugh Clark at (808) 935-3916 or hclark@honoluluadvertiser.com.
