Firefighters continue fire control at volcano

Associated Press

VOLCANO, Hawai'i — Firefighters yesterday continued efforts to mitigate damage from a wildfire sparked 11 days ago by lava from the Kilauea volcano.

About 45 firefighter worked to control the blaze by setting up a control structure known as a black line, said Mardie Lane, a ranger at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

"They burned out patches of alien ferns and grasses to create a 100-foot wide control line ... put in west of the advancing lava flow," she said. "That's one of the methods that we hope will be effective in stopping a wildfire if it should become ignited by the lava."

The goal is to protect tracts of native woodland and forest, which is home to native plants, 'ohi'a hapu'u and maile; birds, kolea, 'apapane, 'amakihi, 'oma'o and 'io; bats, bugs and butterflies.

Lane referred to alien plants as "flashy fuels" and said they ignite quicker than native plants.

The lava flow from Kilauea sparked a fire at the 2,100-foot level on Pulama Pali on May 18.

The fire has burned about 900 acres but has been mostly contained with aggressive control efforts, Lane said.

"If any old snags would flare up, they would be doused quickly by the helicopter pilots," Lane said. "The lava continues to advance ... but no new fires of any significance have taken off."

Firefighters have suffered only minor injuries in the 11 days of fighting the blaze, Lane said.