Hawaii Volcanoes |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2024. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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January 23, 1987 Location: Not given Mr. W.C.K. died of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident in which his car left the road and hit a tree.
Location: Halemaumau Crater P.K.H., who suffered from severe asthma, was walking on the trail and passed the warning sign which advises those with respiratory problems to proceed no further. She passed the sign and immediately, according to witnesses, fell to the ground, unconscious and not breathing. CPR was started at this time by other visitors. Several visitors went to notify park rangers. The response time was approximately 20 minutes. P.K.H.'s body was transported to Memorial Mortuary in Helo. Next of kin notified.
Location: Kupapa'u Point Lava flows from Puuo'o Volcano destroyed a structure yesterday - the 59th building to burn since the eruptions began on January 3, 1983. Most of the current flow, however, is heading into the ocean at Kupapa'u Point.
Location: Kalapana The Puu O'O lava flow from the Mt. Kilaue eruption increase its flow last week and broke out of the main tube system and into the lower Royal Garden subdivision on Wednesday. Several abandoned homes were destroyed, and five more probably burned Wednesday night (overflights had not been made at the time of the report). Ground crews from Hawaii Volcanoes are connecting cold trails along the boundary to prevent wildfires from developing within the park. The rate of spread for the flow has increased to one-half mile every four hours on flat areas. No Park Service buildings are in danger.
Location: Near Royal Gardens A Hughes 500-D helicopter which was under contract to the park and being used to survey the park for illegal marijuana plots crashed in open terrain near Royal Gardens yesterday afternoon. All four people on board were taken to a hospital in Hilo for treatment. Pilot T.H. of Pacific Hilo Tours sustained broken ribs and was trapped in the craft until he was extricated; ranger John Machado suffered back injuries; ranger Jeffrey Judd received facial lacerations and a possible broken nose; and ranger Gail Manami had no visible injuries but was taken in for routine checks. FAA and OAS have been notified. Cause of the accident is presently unknown and under investigation.
Location: All Areas Hurricane Favio was expected to reach the island of Hawaii on August 4th, bringing with it wind in excess of 70 miles per hour. Winds as high as 100 miles per hour are expected on the slopes of Moana Loa. At the advise of the U.S. Weather Service, rangers are evacuating the backcountry and NPS employees are being moved from Kalapana.
Ranger James "Kimo" Cabatbat died of cancer on the afternoon of the 18th. He was 37. Kimo began his career in the NPS in 1979 at Haleakala, and was the ranger at Kalapana in Hawaii Volcanoes at the time of his death. He was also a member of the regional special events team for the last six years. Kimo is survived by his wife, Non, and their three children, Trahern, 9, Aislin, 6, and Cavan, 4. (Herb Gercke, WRO).
Lava flows at Kalapana broke through their tubes on the 19th and surfaced within Royal Gardens, a small residential community on the park's boundary. Crews from the park are assisting local fire crews in "black lining" (burning out between a fire line and a fire) the area to safeguard structures, including the Wa'Ha'Ula visitor center. No threats are anticipated to any park structures. While engaged in the black lining operation, ranger Sam Kahookaulana discovered a marijuana plantation. Following an investigation, 332 plants were confiscated and T.B., a German national, was arrested. The value of the plants has been established as in excess of $300,000. (Jim Martin, CR, I-LAVO; report via CompuServe from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
On the afternoon of Sunday, June 11th, park rangers were advised that a Scenic Air Tours flight from Hilo to Kahalui with 11 people on board had disappeared while flying over the park. On Monday, an emergency locator signal was picked up from the Waipeo - Waimanu Valley area outside of the park's boundaries. This area contains steep and highly-vegetated canyons with water falls over 1,000 feet high at the headwalls. Heavy rains over the island prevented aircraft from locating the crash scene. Early on Tuesday morning, the DBA helicopter which is stationed in the park transported park rangers Jeffery Judd and Scott Lopez to the area to assist in the search; ranger John Machado drove there with a fuel trailer and SAR equipment. The crash site was located on the headwall of Waimanu valley, about half way up its 2,000-foot height. The aircraft had burned and its remains were hanging from vegetation and rocks on the highly-vegetated cliff face. Fire department and military units were unable to reach the site and asked that the rangers evaluate the scene. After an appraisal of the accident site and some phone consultation with ranger Bob Howard in Yosemite, a plan was developed that involved long-line insertion of recovery personnel with a Hughs 500D helicopter. T.H., the pilot of the Hughs, is considered to be the best tactical pilot in the islands, and was a key person in the development of marijuana air eradication methods in the early 80's. The three rangers and two other rescuers were long-lined into an area adjacent to the crash site; they stabilized the scene with fixed climbing ropes and spent the rest of the day recovering remains with a water rescue net. Heavy rains fell during the night, making the crash site extremely hazardous. On Wednesday, the team fixed cables around the aircraft and airlifted parts out by helicopter. Three victims were still in the plane at day's end, however, and recovery coordinators plan to long-line the rangers into the site again to remove their bodies as soon as weather permits. The fuselage will be left in place. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
Two fingers of a lava flow are threatening park facilities. One is approaching the archaeologically significant site of Kailiili and will overcome it unless the flow is diverted. The flow may also cross the road leading to the Wahaula Visitor Center, which will isolate but not threaten the building. The second finger is threatening the Kalapana maintenance area, but should not reach the facility for at least 30 days, if at all. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from PvAD/WRO).
During the early hours of Wednesday, June 21st, the lava flow which was previously reported as moving toward the Kalapana maintenance area (Morning Report, 6/16) entered that area, destroyed two buildings, isolated but did not damage three park residences, and advanced slowly toward the Wahaula Visitor Center. On Tuesday, the park removed 95% of the equipment within the two maintenance buildings - a generator shed and a garage with an office and work area - and evacuated the natural history association employee who was residing in one of the three houses (the other two were vacant). All exhibits, cabinets, furniture and records were removed from the visitor center, which was about 1,000 feet from the maintenance area. As of last report (7 p.m. EOT last night), the flow was within 50 feet of the visitor center, and park employees were utilizing a pumper truck and two 6,000- gallon tankers to spray water on the flow's leading edge in hopes of cooling and hardening it. Since the flow of lava eased up there and began breaking out further to the east, there is some chance that the visitor center will be saved, but the superintendent feels that it is more likely that it will be lost. Visitors are being allowed into the area, as the lava flow is too slow (about 10 feet per hour) to be immediately threatening, and interpretive rangers have been assigned to the site to explain the natural processes at work. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO; supplemental phone call to Hugo Huntzinger, Superintendent, HAVO).
The lava flow which destroyed two buildings in the Kalapana maintenance area on Wednesday reached the Wahaula Visitor Center yesterday afternoon, causing it to burst into flame. The building was totally consumed. Firefighters had pumped more than 18,000 gallons of water onto the flow in an attempt to save the building, which will cost about $60,000 to replace. Although it was feared that the lava would next claim the Waha'ula Heiau temple, which dates from 1275 A.D. and sits on a bluff 150 feet south of the center, it now appears that the temple is out of danger due to the westward movement of the flow. According to the USGS, Kilauea, the world's most active volcano, is now pumping out about half a million cubic meters of lava per day. (Report via Associated Press story filed this morning).
The Manaula Pupuo'o area was hit by an earthquake that lasted between 30 and 40 seconds and reached 6.1 on the Richter scale at 5:30 p.m. on the 25th. No property damage or injuries were reported within the park. The lava flow area was temporarily closed to the public to safeguard against the effects of any possible aftershocks. According to a seismic analyst for the USGS, the quake was triggered by the release of pressure generated by the movement of underground magma. The quake also generated a small (no more than 23" high) tidal wave which caused no damage. (Scott Lopez, DR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO; supplemental information from AP story).
Hurricane Delilia was to have struck the coast of Hawaii at 3 p.m. local (9 p.m. EOT) time yesterday. The storm was expected to bring winds in excess of 70 m.p.h. at a time when the year's highest tides will be coming in, thereby threatening the south coast of the island. The park has closed the coastal back country and is monitoring the coastal roads. Closures will depend on weather conditions. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
The hurricane, which was headed for the coast of Hawaii on the 19th, did not make landfall; although there were heavy rains over the island, no damage was inflicted on the park. (CompuServe message from RAD/WRO).
Reggie Walton, a former District Court judge from Washington, D.C. and currently the number three deputy under William Bennett, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited the park along with several DEA agents on the 8th and was shown helicopter rappel techniques and drug eradication practices employed locally by park rangers. Walton is charged with the coordination of state and federal agencies in the war on drugs. (Paul Ducasse, LES, HAVO, via CompuServe message from RAD/WRO).
On August 24th, a Papillon Tours sight-seeing helicopter from Kona, Hawaii, crashed outside the park boundary. A May Day was sent, and park rangers Mark Lowry and Greg Herbst in a contract helicopter were the first to respond and first to arrive at the scene of the accident. The two rangers were able to stabilize and evacuate two victims with back injuries and remove the remaining seven uninjured passengers to safety. (Paul Ducase, LES, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
On January 7th, ranger Ralph Cline stopped a 33-year-old Hawaiian man for driving his vehicle off of the established roadway. During the ensuing scuffle, he applied a choke hold on Cline while apparently attempting to get his gun, causing Cline to lose consciousness. He then left the scene of the incident, but was apprehended later and taken into custody. He will be arraigned in Honolulu today and charged under 18 USC 111, assault on a law enforcement office. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 5 p.m. EST, 1/8/90).
Further information has been received regarding the assault on ranger Ralph Cline on January 7th. Cline was on patrol on Chain-Of-Craters Road, now a dead end because of lava flows, when he saw a four-wheel-drive vehicle being driven erratically off road in an area where ORV travel is not permitted. When the vehicle returned to the road, it almost hit several visitors. Cline then pursued and stopped the vehicle. As he was talking to the driver, Cline smelled an alcoholic beverage on his breath and saw a cooler beside him. Cline retrieved the cooler and turned toward his car. As Cline was walking, the man grabbed him from behind, turned him around, struck him in the chin and knocked him down. Cline temporarily lost consciousness during the ensuing struggle; it is still uncertain what specific act caused him to blackout. When Cline came to, the man was gone. Cline called for assistance and several rangers established a road block and stopped his assailant. The man, who has no known criminal record, was arrested and registered a .11 in the test for blood alcohol administered two hours after the incident. He has been arraigned on charges of assaulting a federal officer. The park has arranged critical incident debriefing for Cline. (Telephone report from Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 1 p.m. EST, 1/9/90).
Around 2:30 a.m. on January 18th, W.G., 28, of New York, was partying with friends at a home in the town of Volcano when the group decided to take a sauna at one of the many steam vents in the Steam Bluffs area of the park. W.G. removed all of his clothes and approached the vent near the north rim of Kilauea caldera, but lost his footing and fell in, landing on a ledge about 25 feet below. After several fruitless efforts to get him out, his friends sought help. Ranger rappelled down to W.G. and brought him to the surface. He was taken to the dispensary at a nearby military camp, where he was treated for numerous cuts and bruises and released. (United Press report, 5 a.m. EST, 1/19/90).
On February 7th and 8th, winds of from 30 to 40 m.p.h. with gusts over 50 m.p.h. inflicted damage at the 4,000' elevation of the park. Trees started to fall on roadways late on the evening of the 7th. The Namakanipaio campground and all concession cabins in that area were closed on the afternoon of the 8th due to the danger of falling trees. At about the same time, an ohia tree fell on a moving rental vehicle near Thurston Lava Tube, causing extensive property damage and minor personal injury to one of the vehicle's passengers. The campgrounds and cabin were to have remained closed until some time on the 9th. (Paul Ducasse, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 1:30 p.m. EST, 2/9/90).
Lava from Kilauea Volcano destroyed a vacant home in the Royal Gardens subdivision on the 17th and encircled another home the following day, prompting the evacuation of two residents by helicopter. Another finger of lava east of Royal Gardens crossed the Kalapana Bypass Highway but headed for the ocean over old flows and did not threaten homes. A separate flow was reported to be threatening the 125-home Kalapana subdivision yesterday. The home in Royal Gardens was the 76th destroyed by lava since the eruptions began in January of 1983. (Associated Press reports on 2/19 and 2/20/90).
During a cooperative drug enforcement mission with the Hawaii County Police Department on April 2nd, park ranger Sam Kahookaulana, 34, was suspended from a fixed line under a helicopter. The safety rig securing Kahookaulana to the helicopter malfunctioned, dropping him 15 feet to the trees below. He was transported to a hospital in Hilo, and is reported to be in stable condition with chest injuries. The cause of the malfunction is under investigation. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via telefaxed report from Christine Lee, WRO, 11:30 a.m. EDT, 4/3/90).
On April 2nd, park ranger Sam Kahookaulana was injured when he fell 15 feet from a fixed line under a helicopter to some trees below. He suffered a slight compression fracture of a vertebra, but is now out of the hospital and doing fine. (Telephone report from Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 3 p.m. EDT, 4/5/90).
On January 7th, ranger Ralph Clyne was assaulted by B.W.P., 34, when Clyne stopped him for suspicion of drunken driving on Chain-of-Craters Road. B.W.P. grabbed Clyne by the throat and choked him into unconsciousness before fleeing. Clyne was able to call for assistance when he came to, however, and rangers subsequently established a road block and stopped and arrested B.W.P. On March 28th, a Federal jury convicted B.W.P. of assaulting a park ranger. He will be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Honolulu on July 2nd, and faces a maximum three-year prison term. (Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 11 a.m. EDT, 4/10/90).
Over the course of the period from early July to late September, park rangers Jeff Judd and Paul Ducasse participated full time in Operation Wipeout, a DEA-sponsored marijuana eradication effort. Also participating were state enforcement officers, Hawaii County police officers and members of the military. The task force made a dozen arrests for cultivation and distribution of marijuana and eradicated 500,000 plants. Two of the arrested suspects were growing about 2,700 plants within an area 200 yards from the park's jurisdictional boundary but within its legislative boundary. Observers feel that the task force had a major impact on illegal marijuana cultivation on Hawaii. (CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/11).
The Hawaii County Police Department is conducting an investigation into the disappearance of park Maintenance employee Bruce Shimizu, 56, who may have been murdered. On October 14th, Shimizu's locked vehicle and broken fishing gear were found near Hilo Bay, 30 miles from the park, but Shimizu could not be found. The next day, a juvenile male walked into the county police department and confessed to killing Shimizu and throwing his body into the Wailuku River. The suspect said that he had gotten angry with Shimizu, beaten him up, thrown his body in the river, and destroyed his fishing equipment. A search for Shimizu is underway, but he has not yet been located. Shimizu began working in the park in 1978 as a YACC employee. Since 1983, he had worked in various laborer positions, most recently as a painter. The incident occurred while Shimizu was on a break in service as a temporary employee. (Paul Ducasse, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/16).
P.Q., 24, of Del Mar, New York, received second degree burns to his feet and ankles when he waded into the water near a lava flow in the Wahaula area of the park on the evening of the 15th. P.Q. told hospital personnel that he'd intended to jump into the water, but that he'd decided to test it with his feet first. He was treated at the hospital, then released. No park personnel were on duty in the area at the time, but P.Q. had passed a number of warning and cautionary signs before entering the water. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 5/16]
A Mambo Kea contract Hughes 500 helicopter crashed while sling loading on a resource management assignment at 5,500 feet on Mauna Loa. Initial reports indicate that the pilot, who was the helicopter's sole occupant, was seriously injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed. A small fire resulted and was suppressed by park crews. OAS has been notified. [Jack Minassian, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 5/29]
The contract Hughs 500 helicopter which crashed in the park was in the process of sling-loading fencing materials from a staging area at 4,600 feet to a work site at 7,800 feet. On a return trip to the staging area, the helicopter's engine failed. The pilot may have tried to autorotate, but did not have enough altitude and crashed at the 6,000 feet. Debris was spread for about 200 feet; the ship itself came to rest against a tree and burned. The pilot's helmet was caught in the wreckage, but he managed to free himself from it and walk away from the ship. His injuries included a slight concussion, fractured vertebrae, a fractured collarbone, and a compound fracture of the arm. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. [CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 5/30]
J.F., 20, of Fern Acres, was struck by lightning upon entering the U.S. Geological Service building in the park on August 8th. J.F., who is an employee in a student program, remained conscious, but was unable to speak. No burn marks or entry or exit points were discovered on his body. When able to talk again, J.F. complained of chest and back pains. He was released in good condition following admittance and observation in a hospital in Hilo. [Jim Martin, Cr, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Steve Martin, RAD/WRO, 8/9]
A Hawaii Department of Drug Enforcement helicopter suffered a power loss and crashed and burned while on an interagency marijuana eradication assignment outside the park's boundary on the 13th. The pilot, A.W., 36, was killed; a Kauii police officer received first and second degree burns on his back and a DNR officer and National Guard agent each received minor injuries. Ranger Jeff Judd, who was to have flown with A.W., switched to another helicopter at the last minute. Judd and the second helicopter's pilot, Tom Hopman, rescued the three passengers from the ship and extinguished the fire. The helicopter was spotting for two other helicopters that were spraying sugar cane fields in a marijuana eradication operation. [Paul Ducasse, LES, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/14]
On the evening of August 25th, the park received a report that B.S., 16, and J.F., 15, both of Encinitas, California, were missing. The two had last been seen entering the Ola'a Tract, an area of very heavy vegetation. They were wearing only tank tops and jeans and had neither food nor water. Rain fell throughout the night, but skies partially cleared the following morning. A full-scale search was initiated whichemployed helicopters, grid searches and containment patrols. The park reported that the two boys were found late yesterday and that they were in good condition. Details are to follow. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 8/26]
M.T.K., an employee of the park's fence contractor, walked off of the fence project on Mauna Loa on September 1st. The park was notified that M.T.K. was missing on the 9th. At present, there is conflicting information on his last known location. One report places the location at the fence line camp at 8,000 feet; the other indicates that M.T.K.'s pack and boots were found in one of the contract employee's vehicles at the end of the paved Mauna Loa strip road at the 6,000-foot level. Both an investigation and search are underway. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 9/11]
A search was begun on September 9th for M.T.K., an employee of the park's fence contractor, after the park was notified that he'd walked off a project on Mauna Loa a week earlier. A detailed search of all vegetated areas in the primary search area was conducted on the 12th, but no clues were found. Air and foot searches centering on lava tubes and open skylights were equally fruitless. The park's search efforts have accordingly been suspended until new information is received. County personnel were to continue searching the area on the 13th, but planned on suspend their efforts if no signs of M.T.K. were found. An NPS helicopter search and infrared radar scan of the area was scheduled for the 13th, but was canceled due to lack of equipment. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 9/13]
Jon Erickson, a supervisory interpretive ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes and the park's public information officer, died of a heart attack on the evening of Tuesday, September 24th. He had left work early that day after reporting that he was feeling ill with unspecified symptoms. He was taking a shower at home during the evening and apparently suffered a heart attack. His wife later found him there. No information is yet available concerning funeral arrangements or other details. Jon was in his mid40's. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 9/26]
R.G., a 31-year-old worker for a fence contractor in the park, became lost while working at the 7,000-foot level on Mauna Loa on September 26th. R.G. and a co-worker started back along the fence to their vehicles around 11:45 a.m. with R.G. in the lead. When R.G.'s partner reached the vehicles, though, R.G. was not there. He searched for R.G. for five hours without luck, then reported him missing. R.G. was reportedly no an outdoorsman and not well-suited to taking care of himself on his own. The location where he became lost was about a mile from the point where another fence contractor employee had disappeared a few weeks ago. The park conducted a hasty search on the morning of the 27th and found R.G. about a mile from the point last seen. He was unhurt, but suffered from exhaustion and exposure. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 9/27]
E.R., a 23-year-old seaman from the U.S.S. Worden, was killed on the evening of October 15th when he fell about 250 feet into the crater of Mt. Kilauea. E.R. was leading three other Navy men in a hike up the mountain to an overlook. They were climbing in single file in darkness without the benefit of flashlights. E.R. apparently didn't see the crater's lip and walked right over. His body was recovered the following morning by a team of six park rangers assisted by a helicopter. [AP news story, 10/12; Paul Ducasse, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/15]
On October 30th, rangers and Hawaii County officers conducted a raid in the Royal Gardens area on the park and found 4,000 marijuana plants. No arrests were made. Evidence indicated that the growers were doing research and development on different strains of marijuana, as about two dozen varieties were subsequently identified. The growers were apparently striving for a variety which would grown in a dry environment and shaded area, thereby minimizing for growers to tend their plants and make detection by air more difficult. Rangers learned of the plantation from visitors hiking in the area. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 11/1]
Just after 3:00 a.m. on December 23rd, rangers responded to a report of an assault by a person with a shotgun in the park's concession dormitory and subsequently arrested R.E.S., an employee of the Volcano House concession, for possession of a sawed-off shotgun and assault with a deadly weapon. A .32 caliber revolver and a small amount of marijuana were also seized during the arrest. Investigation revealed the details of the incident. Following a concession Christmas party on the 22nd, a number of employees had continued drinking and playing music in the dormitory lobby. One employee who had gone to his room objected to the noise. R.E.S. entered his room with a shotgun, pulled him from his bed, and placed the shotgun to his head. R.E.S.'s girlfriend intervened, and the victim was able to lock his room door and escape out the window. R.E.S. was arrested without incident, and was arraigned later that day in Honolulu. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 1/3]
Just before midnight on the 24th, J.S., 25, of Seattle, Washington, and B.M., 24, of Boulder, Colorado, both volunteers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were taking a steam bath at the edge of a crack in a natural vent when a dense cloud of steam hit them. As they attempted to leave, B.M. slipped on the mud, fell about ten feet into a small vent, then slid another ten feet further into the vent. J.S. heard her scream and cry out that she could not breathe; he made several rescue efforts, but was unable to reach her. J.S. then obtained assistance from Hawaii Volcano personnel at park headquarters a half mile away. Park, Kilauea Military Camp and Hawaii County rescue crews eventually recovered her body after several hours' effort, but were hampered in the process by intense heat and steam. People often take steam baths at the vents, which are a half-mile from the crater of Kilauea. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 2/25; additional information from AP news report, 2/25]
A sharp deflation of Kilauea's summit, accompanied by a swarm of small earthquakes in the upper East Rift zone near Pauahi Crater, occurred at 1:00 a.m. on March 3rd. The area then abruptly inflated, cracking the Chain of Crater road near the Helina Pali road junction at Devil's Throat Crater. At the same time, the activity on the west flank of Puu O'o stopped and lava apparently drained out of the Puu O'o lava lake. A fissure eruption in the vicinity of these cracks was thought to be imminent, and the park responded by closing the Chain of Craters road at Crater Rim drive, moving all vehicles and the mobile visitor center out of the coastal area, and evacuating visitors and park personnel from the Puu O'o area by helicopter. At 2:00 p.m., an overflight disclosed that lava had returned to Puu O'o and that a small active lake was building in the west section. An active lava flow was also noted on the north edge of the lava flow which had been coming from the east flank of Puu o'o during the previous week. The origin of this molten material is unknown. Maintenance crews will be inspecting the cracked roadway and making necessary safety repairs prior to reopening the Chain of Craters road. The U.S. Geological Survey feels that it would take very little push from another summit deflation to cause an eruption. The park is continuing a fire watch in the area due to drought conditions. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 3/5]
A Hughes 500-D helicopter belonging to Mauna Kea Helicopters experienced engine failure over Chain of Craters Road on May 30th and autorotated to hard landing on the road. The helicopter was severely damaged; the pilot and his four passengers suffered minor injuries. Wreckage of the craft caused the road to be closed to traffic, but at the time of the report it was thought that it would be reopened by the following day. Apparently there was a change in engine sound, followed by chip lights and abnormal gauge readings, just prior to engine failure. The hard landing at an estimated 10 mph was necessary to avoid hitting a tour bus on the road. The accident is being investigated by the FAA. Although not on a departmental mission, the aircraft was OAS carded and had been frequently used by the park. OAS has been notified. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via cc:Mail report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/1]
On May 29th, D.D., 22, of Keeau, Hawaii, was stopped by a park ranger for a traffic violation on Highway 11. D.D. initially identified himself as Anyabuly Watunde and claimed to be a Rastafarian. Although he refused to provide any identification, he eventually allowed rangers to open a bag that contained his identification. Rangers also found marijuana in the bag. A check through Yosemite dispatch revealed that D.D. had been arrested on drug charges in California and had a no bail warrant on him from Los Angeles County for cultivation of marijuana. D.D. was to be flown to Honolulu on June 1st to answer federal charges and await extradition to Los Angeles County on state charges. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via cc:Mail message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/1]
Starting on May 31st, the park was beset by a series of thefts from visitor vehicles. All of the involved vehicles were parked in area where visitors made short walks away from the parking lot; most of the thefts were occurring in the late afternoon and vehicles were usually entered by breaking a window with a rock. Rangers accordingly began a stakeout of the lot at Thurston Lava Tube on June 4th. At 6:30 that evening, they saw P.J., 19, and B.C., 20, break into a vehicle, remove property, place it in their vehicle, and drive away. They were stopped and arrested as they attempted to leave the lot. All of the couple's activities prior to and during the theft were recorded on video. Rangers recovered property and cash with a total value of $361 from the observed theft, but found no property associated with any of the previous thefts. The pair were to be arraigned at magistrate's court on June 5th. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via cc:Mail message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 6/5]
As of late Wednesday, Hurricane Iniki was 120 miles south of the park. A hurricane advisory had been issued for the area, but the storm was not expected to come any closer to the island. Surf from eight to ten feet high was expected; at 3 p.m., rangers were reporting surf approaching that height range breaking into the coconut grove at the Kamoamoa Village at the new black sand beach. The beach was accordingly closed. A sensitive archeological site is located under the sands in the coconut grove. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 9/10]
Around noon on September 21st, a sightseeing helicopter crashed in the Puu O'o area of the park, injuring pilot J.K., of Keeau, Hawaii, and his two passengers, P.H. and S.H. of Manchester, Connecticut. Responding officers treated all three for minor injuries and flew them out of the area. Rangers assisted in the evacuation. An investigation is underway, but it appears that the crash was caused by mechanical difficulties. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 9/22]
Early on the morning of October 28th, maintenance employees reported that a lava flow from the Puu O'o vent had come over the escarpment above Kamoamoa. Although the flow had been monitored throughout the week, observers had expected it to pool on the flat land above the escarpment and not proceed any further. An overflight revealed extensive surface activity, with two strong flows moving down the cliff and into coastal grass lands. The park was planning on direct suppression of wildfire occurring along the flow on Wednesday and black line operations on Thursday to protect the remaining coastal shrub forest to the east. No threats to facilities are anticipated. Visitors are attempting to hike into the flow area from numerous points along the coastal road and rangers have not been able to either monitor or control them. The flow should provide good viewing for the public in the evening hours. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 10/29]
The lava flow from the vent on the west side of Pu'o 'O'o continues to pour over the escarpment in the park's coastal district three miles west of Kamoamoa. There are several actively moving fingers of lava, the lowest of which is at the 650-foot elevation; one is within a half mile of the Chain of Craters Road below Pali Uli. The road has been closed at Lae Apuki due to fire operations, the danger of lava ignited fire, and concerns that visitors might become disoriented by heavy smoke or entrapped by fast moving brush fires. Two dozen firefighters have been deployed in an attempt to establish a blackline to prevent the spread of wildfire into native coastal vegetation. They are being supported by three helicopters that are ferrying crews and dropping water from buckets. [Mardie Lane, PIO, HAVO, 11/4]
The lava flow from the Puu O'o vent now covers about a quarter mile of the Chain of Craters Road. Park crews have black lined much of the associated fire, which has so far burned about 800 acres. [Jack Minassian, HAVO, 11/9]
The vent on the west side of Pu'u 'O'o continues to feed open cascades of lava over Pali Uli above Lae'apuki in the park's coastal district. Output has been estimated at over 100,000 cubic yards of lava per day. Lava has completely surrounded Moa Heiau and has flowed over and covered most of its surface platform. Six of seven campsites in the campground have been buried. Lava has also covered rocky outcroppings containing petroglyphs, almost all of the black sand beach, and many trees. The flow is moving through tube systems extending over five miles from the vent to the ocean, and is filling in the bay at Kamoamoa. Over 18 acres of new land have been added to the island since November 8th. [Mardie Lane, PIO, HAVO, 11/16]
On Saturday, November 21st, a Bell Jet Ranger owned by Hilo Bay Air and carrying the pilot and two passengers crashed on a ledge 150 feet below the rim of the Pu'u 'O'o vent on Kilauea. Rescue efforts were begun by a park team comprised of rangers Jeff Judd, Paul Ducasse, Neil Akana, Robin Cooper and Greg Herbst, with the assistance of county fire and rescue units. Attempts to reach the three men were hampered by the heavy steaming and fuming of the vent, which dropped visibility to zero, by the noxious hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide gases accompanying the steam clouds, which forced rescuers to wear respirators and self-contained breathing apparatus, and by intermittent and occasionally heavy rain showers. The surface around the vent was also found to be extremely unstable and highly prone to cave-ins and collapses. On Saturday afternoon, a contract helicopter was able to land inside the crater, allowing Ducasse to rescue the pilot of the crashed helicopter. It took longer to reach the two passengers, who had attempted to hike out and had become stranded. The first was rescued at 3 p.m. on Sunday, the second was extricated yesterday. No details are yet available on their medical condition or the cause of the accident. This is the third helicopter crash in the park this year, and the second on the Pu'u 'O'o vent in the past few months. [Mardie Lane, PIO, HAVO, 11/21 and 11/23]
U.S. Geological Survey employees conducting tests at the eruption site with representatives from the American Lung Association on December 10th noted that there were periods of high concentrations of hydrochloric acid atomized in the air at one of the primary viewing areas for the current eruption. The concentrations were high enough to conceivably exceed the eight-hour exposure limits OSHA has set for such environments, so employees have been issued respirators for use when fumes are strong enough to cause irritation. The park will initiate a study to test employee exposure levels at various work sites in the eruption area. Adjustments will then be made in schedules and assignments to keep exposure within OSHA limits. Atomized hydrochloric acid can cause eye, nose and upper respiratory inflammation. Employees reporting these symptoms are being referred to doctors for medical attention. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 12/14]
All lava flow activity stopped completely in the morning hours of January 3rd. No lava could be seen in the Puu O'o vent or in any of the major lava tube systems leading from the vent to the coastal entry. The summit of Kilauea began inflating during the day, however, and flows resumed late in the afternoon in both the tubes and on the surface. On January 5th, lava suddenly broke out of the tube systems in the area of the old Kamoamoa campground, covering the remaining portions of the parking lot for the picnic area and the old stone restroom. As the flow moved into unburnt fuels, fire activity resumed at several locations. At the time of the report, that activity was restricted to flow fronts and was being confined within black lines or trails. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 1/6]
On January 20th, B.C. and P.J. were each sentenced to ten months confinement and three years supervised probation after pleading guilty to three felony thefts from vehicles in the park over the past year. Following a series of thefts from vehicles in the Thurston Lava Tube, rangers Jeff Judd and Gail Minami staked out the area and subsequently videotaped B.C. and P.J. breaking into vehicles. The pair will also be required to submit to drug testing and reimburse visitors whose vehicle windows were broken during the thefts. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 1/22]
A tourist helicopter from Kainoa Aviation in Hilo crashed in the Pacific Ocean yesterday while flying near the point where the volcano's lava flow enters the sea in the Kalapana area. There were five people on board; the pilot survived, but three of his passengers died and the fourth is missing. The crash occurred just outside of park boundaries, but rangers have been actively involved in search and rescue operations. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 1/25]
Despite continuing efforts, searchers have not yet found either the body of the fourth victim of Monday's crash or any sign of the Fairchild Hiller 1100 helicopter. The only survivor, pilot R.I., is in Hilo Hospital; his status is not known. At this time, it appears that the helicopter was on a normal sightseeing flight when the accident occurred, but investigators have yet to determine the cause of the crash. FAA and county fire and rescue officials are coordinating the investigation and search. [Gail Minami, Acting CR, HAVO, 1/26]
Just after midnight on February 8th, a series of seismic events began in the park, including rapid deflation of the summit area of Kilauea and hundreds of tremors and small earthquakes in the Makaopuhi Crater area east of the Chain of Craters Road and west of the current eruption at the Puu O'o vent. The flows into the ocean at Kamoamoa stopped, and it appears that Puu O'o and the tubes leading to the ocean have drained. Significant coastal beach collapse occurred in the early morning hours after lava drained out from under it. Activity at Makaopuhi continued throughout the day and the summit area continued to deflate. U.S. Geologic Service personnel feel that a new outbreak in the Makaopuhi area is possible at any time. The coastal area, Chain of Craters Road and Hilina Pali road have been closed so that no visitors will be entrapped in the area if the outbreak occurs. The situation is being closely monitored. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/9]
On February 12th, ranger Talmadge Magno picked up a motorcycle traveling at 74 mph on Highway 11 and attempted to stop him. The motorcyclist, J.R. of Kealakekua, accelerated, and Magno pursued him. During the ten- mile chase, Magno reached speeds over 100 mph, but the motorcycle nonetheless continued to pull away. Ranger Eric Candelario joined the pursuit, moving his vehicle into a position ahead of the motorcycle and creating a moving blockade. After two separate orders via the vehicle's public address system, J.R. finally moved to the side of the road and stopped. Investigation revealed that J.R. had no warrants against him, nor was there any indication that he'd engaged in any other illegal acts. The motorcyclist apologized, stating that he thought he could get away from Magno and that he did it for the thrill. He also said that he was in the process of getting a commercial license and fled because he did not want to lose his driver's license. J.R. is scheduled for a mandatory appearance before the U.S. magistrate. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/16]
The pause in eruptive activity at the Puu O'o vent has ended. Early on the evening of February 20th, reports were received of a new fissure opening in the base of the Puu O'o cone. Fountains of from four to six meters in height were reported. An overflight on the morning of February 21st disclosed a rooster tail fountain about four meters high with a small lava flow at its base. The flows do not appear to extend any great distance from the fountain. The main tube system from Puu O'o has also become active, with low volume flows at the edge of Holei Pali and some lava visible in skylights on the face of the Pali. There is still very little to be seen by visitors, which has given the park staff some respite from "eruption duty." The situation is being monitored, and the eruption operational schedule will be reinstated when visitor safety and interest levels warrant. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/22]
The lava flow that began erupting on February 20th has now spread over all the pali and is approaching visitor contact points. Park personnel are gearing up to manage the problem. Incidental to the flow are two fires that have been started by the molten lava. Two crews have been called out to fight these fires, since they are also close to visitor areas. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/26]
While in the process of working on the park water tanks, a park contractor accidentally spilled some unidentified solvent on the roadway, causing portions of it to be eaten away. Park maintenance personnel are currently in the process of tearing up the damaged portion. Efforts are underway to identify the material. No injuries have been reported. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/26]
At 2 a.m. on February 26th, the park received a report that 37-year-old J.O. of Van Nuys, California, was missing and had last been seen going under the safety barricade wire at the edge of Kilauea Crater and heading toward Volcano Observatory. When they looked again, they could not see him. The crater drops vertically 300 feet to a rubble slope at that point and was the site of a falling fatality last year. A hasty search of all trail areas leading from the site was made; searchers also followed old USGS trails down into the crater. After two hours of ground searches, a helicopter was called to assist. J.O. was found sitting in a picnic shelter near the point last seen a short time later. He said that he'd decided to hike down to the crater floor to get a rock and didn't think anyone missed him. The route he took was extremely unstable and hazardous. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 3/1]
Over recent weeks, activity in the Royal Gardens subdivision suggested that marijuana cultivation and harvesting activities were continuing in the area. A surveillance operation was mounted which confirmed this observation. Three rangers and a county police officer subsequently entered the area and eradicated 1,300 plants ranging in size from twelve-inch seedlings to mature plants. If successfully grown and harvested, the entire crop would have had a market value of over $1 million. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 3/10]
Over the past week, a finger of lava has been moving towards the Lae Apuki village site to the east of Kamoamoa. Lava has reached the ocean in front of the village and covered many major archeological features. There's no indication that the flows will stop, and it's believed that the site will be completely covered within a few days. The loss is significant, since it's the last remaining prehistoric/historic Hawaiian village site east of the Keahou landing site located on the western boundary of the Kalapana extension. All the other major village and occupation sites along this 16- mile stretch of coast have been seriously compromised or covered by lava flows over the last 22 years. Biological losses have also been substantial, as significant stands of a dozen native species have been overrun. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 3/29]
Around 9 p.m. local time yesterday evening (3 a.m. EDT), a series of significant phreatic (steam) explosions occurred where lava is entering the ocean at Lae Apuki, killing one visitor and injuring 14 others - all of whom were in an area which was posted as closed to the public. Following an initial explosion, a bench of lava which extended into the ocean collapsed, causing more explosions and throwing rocks over a quarter of a mile into the air. The visitor who was killed had walked out on the bench after the first explosion, and disappeared into the ocean. Injuries were caused by scalding ocean water and by the rocks which were thrown into the air. All 14 were able to make it either to the Volcano House, where they were treated by rangers, or to a hospital in Hilo. Their condition is not known at present. A joint park - Coast Guard search is underway along the shoreline to find the victim who fell into the ocean. The search will be expanded at dawn. Although the area is again quiet, it has been closed to the public until further notice. A USGS geologist will inspect the area later this morning to determine the cause of the explosions. Further details to follow. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 4/20]
The search for victims of the volcanic explosion which took place at Lae Apuki Village Monday night - including Prem Nagar, 46, of Kealakakua, Hawaii, who witnesses saw fall into the ocean - continues. Investigation indicates that as many as 20 visitors were in the closed area on the lava bench when it collapsed without warning. The collapse was followed by three distinct earthquake-like events, then the sudden explosion of a lava tube that had been filling with water. Enough steam pressure was produced to blow rocks up to a quarter meter across over 100 meters inland from the shoreline. Many of these rocks were incandescent and burnt visitors who were trying to escape. Injuries sustained included serious abrasions and third degree burns from falling rocks, scalding ocean water and lava fragments. Nagar did not try to leave the area when the first collapse occurred and was seen falling into the ocean. The sequence is recorded on a video made by a visitor which has been given to the park. Another camera was found at the site during the investigation, and its film is being processed in hopes of obtaining additional information on the event. Investigators also determined that visitors in the area had not read the abundant warning and specific closure signs posted there; most stated that they were just attracted to the active lava areas. Search efforts will continue for at least two more days. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 4/20]
Searchers are continuing their efforts to find Prem Nagar, who disappeared in the ocean after Monday's explosion at Lae Apuki, but no sign of him has been found. Efforts will continue at least one more day. An investigation of the site was completed yesterday by rangers and a scientist from the Geological Survey's Volcano Observatory. They concluded that the lava bench could collapse again in some manner if lava continues to enter the ocean at that point and the bench continues to grow. The explosive aftermath of a bench collapse was observed by scientists several years ago when lava entered the ocean several miles to the east at Kupapau Point. Park staff met with a representative from the observatory yesterday morning and reviewed options for visitor access to the eruption site. They considered two options - restricting daytime viewing and completely closing the coastal area at night, or leaving the site open after park staff leaves, but with reorganization of safety signs and clearer definitions of viewing areas. After careful deliberation, they decided to keep the site open 24 hours per day and concentrate on establishing viewing areas that could be considered reasonably safe, since visitors would ignore barricades and safety signing after hours and continue to enter hazardous areas. They felt that the irresponsible actions of a few should not result in unreasonable nighttime restrictions on visitor use of this expansive and spectacular section of the park. Lava flows are a vital but inherently dangerous part of the park, just as seasonally high river flows are in other areas. It was felt that the manner in which the park has managed visitor access to the lava flows for the last ten years has been reasonable and has permitted superlative visitor experiences to thousands of people with relatively few serious accidents or injuries. The reorganization of safety signs and barricades was completed yesterday and the site was reopened around noon. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 4/21]
Rangers Jeffrey Judd and Neil Akana and a Hawaii County police officer have broken an extensive burglary-theft ring which has been responsible for three thefts in Kilauea Military Camp and at least seven burglaries in the Volcano Village, Volcano Golf Course, and Mauna Loa Estates subdivisions adjacent to the park. The investigation stemmed from an incident in which a compact disc player and discs had been stolen from a car parked at the military camp. The ring was comprised of six juveniles between the ages of 11 and 15. One was carrying a .38 caliber reproduction weapon which investigators believe was used in strong arm robberies of younger children on the base and in the community. The investigation is continuing; more burglary and theft cases will likely be closed. [J.F. Martin, CR, HAVO, 6/2]
An unknown amount of aviation fuel was spilled on a paved heliport in the park during a refueling operation on the afternoon of June 20th. The spill covered an area measuring 13 by eight feet. Hawaii civil defense was to be notified and was expected to take appropriate action. [Jack Minassian, HAVO, 6/22]
Following receipt of a report that marijuana had been observed on the power line that crosses the Mauna Loa Strip section of the park, rangers, park criminal investigators and a Hawaii County officer conducted an aerial search of the area on July 13th and spotted a very large marijuana plot about 100 yards outside the park's boundary on the Kapapala Ranch. There were numerous growing areas in an a'a' lava field, all connected by a sophisticated irrigation system powered by a gasoline pump. Adjacent to the plantation was a camp covered by camouflage netting. After consulting state and county officials, a decision was made to eradicate the plants because it would not be feasible to stake out the area. Over 1,000 fully-developed, five- to six-foot tall plants with mature buds over a foot long were pulled. No male plants were present in the plantation. A gasoline pump, reels of hose, frog ponds, tents and other materials associated with the cultivation process were seized. A .44 magnum revolver was also recovered. Investigation indicates that the growing operation was staged out of the park's Mauna Loa Strip road and that the growers had tapped into one of the ranch's water systems. The plantation appeared to be in its third year of existence. Due to the quality of plants, their value has been placed at $2 million. As part of this operation, another plantation at Royal Gardens was hit and another 500 plants were recovered. These had an estimated value of $500,000. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 7/14]
On July 29th, rangers noted a suspicious vehicle in the Kipuku Puaulu (Bird Park) special ecological area, a location containing a number of rare and endangered species. They staked out the Bird Park trail and soon saw a local man come down the trail and throw a large bag into his truck. They confronted the man, who informed them that he'd been collecting a locally rare variety of maile, a plant whose leaves and bark are highly valued in the manufacture of leis. He said that he knew it was illegal, but that he collected it anyway. Removal of maile not only depletes this locally rare species, but also endangers the associated native and rare plants in the area. Legal action will be pursued. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 7/30]
The park began making preparations on Sunday for the possible arrival of Hurricane Fernanda, which was then on track to strike the islands with winds over 100 mph. Several roads were closed and all backcountry hiking and camping was prohibited until further notice. Backcountry rangers flew into the park's remote backcountry sites during the day and notified campers of the closure. Two hikers were flown out to help expedite the evacuation. The park was preparing to close the campground at Namakani Paio on short notice, and campers were being urged to seek shelter elsewhere. As of this morning, however, forecasters were predicting that the storm would pass to the northeast of the islands. [Gail Minami, Acting CR, HAVO, 8/16]
During the suppression of a small fire near the Chain of Craters Road on the morning of August 16th, a firefighter discovered the remains of an adult male. Neither the person's identity nor the time or cause of death are yet known. That stretch of the road had been closed to all vehicle and hiker access since August 14th, when it appeared that Hurricane Fernando might strike the park. An investigation is underway. [Mardie Lane, HAVO, 8/17]
On Saturday, November 21, 1992, a Bell Jet Ranger owned by Hilo Bay Air and leased by Paramount Pictures crashed on a ledge 150 feet below the rim of the Pu'u 'O'o vent on Kilauea. The pilot and two passengers were eventually rescued by a team comprised of USGS and NPS employees. The National Transportation Safety Board recently completed its investigation of the accident, and concluded that it occurred because the pilot deliberately flew into a volcanic fume cloud, thereby depriving the helicopter's engine of oxygen and causing partial loss of engine power. The results of the investigation were not unexpected and confirm the findings of the NPS investigation. This determination now clears the way for the County of Hawaii to claim reimbursement for more than $30,000 in direct costs which they incurred while participating in the interagency rescue effort. Paramount Pictures and the helicopter's pilot have consistently denied that there was pilot error in the crash and have not offered to reimburse either the NPS or the county. The contract pilots whose ships were damaged by volcanic fumes during the rescue have apparently been compensated, however. Because of the extreme hazards involved in the rescue, rangers Paul Ducasse and Jeffrey Judd have been recommended for Valor Awards; contract pilots T.H. and D.S., who flew the rescue missions, have been recommended for Exemplary Act Awards; and the team has been recommended for a Unit Citation. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 9/23]
Just before midnight on November 21st, Hugo Huntzinger, the park's superintendent, began experiencing shortness of breath while at his residence. His wife summoned emergency medical assistance and an ambulance was sent to their home. Advanced life support measures were initiated, but Huntzinger died en route to the hospital. Huntzinger was the superintendent at Haleakala for 14 years before moving to Hawaii Volcanoes six years ago. He is survived by his wife, Kyung Ja, his son, Lorenz, his daughter, Francis, and his mother, bother and sister. No information is yet available regarding funeral arrangements. [Scott Hinson, HAVO, 11/22]
A small, private memorial service for superintendent Hugo Huntzinger will be held on November 27th, after which his cremated remains will be scattered over Kilauea crater. A public gathering will be held thereafter for all those wishing to remember him. [Scott Hinson, LES, HAVO, 11/23]
Marijuana plantations were spotted in the Royal Gardens subdivision during a routine surveillance flight of the park's boundaries on December 14th. The subdivision has been isolated from any roads by recent lava flows; marijuana continues to be cultivated there, then transported out through the park. Investigation led to the discovery of extensive seedling cultivation and young plants set out in the forest. No suspects were observed in the area, so a decision was made to eradicate the crop. Over 14,000 plants, ranging from seedlings to two-foot-high plants, were removed within an hour. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 12/15]
When rangers and the DEA agent/pilot who eradicated the 14,000 plants in Royal Gardens on December 14th returned there on the 21st to clean up the site, they found that the growers had gotten back before them and had moved the remaining seedlings and small plants. Several small growing operations were located near a suspected grower's house, and another 2,400 plants up to 14 inches tall were removed. Other suspicious areas were noted as they flew from the area. Investigation and eradication efforts will continue. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 12/22]
On February 1st, members of the Operation Wipeout task force, including park rangers, arrested two men - G.W., 47, and L.O., 25 - for cultivation of marijuana on Mauna Loa just outside the park. The investigation which led to the arrests began last September, when task force members eradicated a large marijuana field on Mauna Loa and recovered a .44 caliber revolver from the area. At that time, rangers had determined that the cultivators were reaching their fields by traveling through the park. Within weeks, the operation had started up again. Rangers conducted surveillance at lookout positions and through remote videos and identified and documented two of the three suspects involved in the growing operation. Both had prior felony criminal histories. The investigation also revealed that a park fence contractor who has been missing for some time would have been in the area while active growing operations were underway, thereby making the cultivators potential suspects in his disappearance. After two days of surveillance, one of the two men was observed entering the growing area and was documented maintaining and harvesting plants. He was allowed to return into the park, then arrested. Further investigation disclosed an active indoor growing operation at his residence, and a second arrest was made at that location. The remains of a second indoor growing operations were found at an associated residence located nearby. Task force members removed 250 plants. The buds harvested in the field by the suspect who was under surveillance averaged two feet long and up to four inches in diameter. He also confessed to growing the 1500 plants which were eradicated in September. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 2/1]
A tour helicopter operated by Mauna Kea Helicopters, Inc., crashed about 50 feet from an active lava tube skylight on the southeast side of the Pu'u 'O'o Cone on the afternoon of March 25th while on a routine aerial tour of the eruption site. The accident was initially reported by other tour helicopters in the area. Responding rescuers found the helicopter, a Hughes 500E, lying on its side; there was no sign of either the pilot or his passenger. Heavy fumes produced white-out conditions and low visibility at the crash site, which hindered search efforts. The missing men were located about two miles downslope from the crash site and were picked up by a county fire and rescue helicopter. They'd reached that point by following the edge of an active lava tube. Neither suffered any apparent injuries. According to the passenger, they'd been hovering about 40 feet above the skylight when the helicopter got caught in steam clouds and crashed. The helicopter was destroyed. The FAA was notified and was to arrive on scene last Saturday. [Gail Minami, HAVO, 3/29]
Ranger Joel Ellis stopped a pickup truck for doing 65 in a 45 mph zone on a state highway within the park at 8:40 a.m. on the morning of April 29th. The driver, R.P.D. (P.K.), 46, got out of the truck and immediately became confrontational. R.P.D. refused to comply with any of Ellis' requests, continued to escalate the situation, and eventually told Ellis that he was "coming for him." Ellis drew his weapon at this point, and, without pointing it at R.P.D., ordered him back into his vehicle. R.P.D. complied. Backup units arrived and R.P.D. was arrested without further incident. An unsheathed hunting knife and an unloaded rifle were found in the vehicle's cab during a search of the truck incident to the arrest. R.P.D., who is a felon currently on probation, has a long criminal history of assaults, drug use and weapons violations. He is also an activist in the Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement, and has had previous confrontations with rangers and county officers. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 5/2]
During the month of May, investigators, rangers and DEA agents eradicated 25,671 sensimilla marijuana plants from the park with a street value in Hawaii of just over $77 million. The DEA price schedule indicates that processed marijuana is selling locally for up to $10,000 per pound, and that a single plant may bring in as much as $4,000. The park's investigators and rangers are part of the DEA's statewide "Operation Wipeout." [N. Scott Hinson, CI, HAVO, 6/9]
R.R., 28, of Pahoa, Hawaii, was killed on the evening of June 17th when the rocks he was scrambling on near the rim of Halemaumau Crater broke loose and he fell about 30 feet. R.R. was extracted by helicopter from the crater. Kilauea Military Camp medics attempted to revive him, but were unsuccessful. [Norm Hinson, CI, HAVO, 6/17]
For the last few days, Hawaii County Civil Defense has been monitoring the path of Hurricane Emilia. Although the storm is still over 400 miles from the island of Hawaii, it is moving in a northwesterly direction and is already having some effects on the south coast of the island, including park coastal areas. Surf is building and was expected to reach 15 feet last night. This unexpected high surf will present a serious hazard to uninformed visitors who are camping on backcountry beaches, to motor vehicles driving the coastal section of the Chain of Craters road, and to visitors viewing lava at points where it is entering the sea. As a precaution, no further backcountry permits are being issued for the coastal area until the storm passes. The coastal road and eruption site were closed yesterday at 3 p.m., and backcountry rangers flew to coastal camp areas to give warning to visitors already in the area. At this time winds are not expected to be at a level which would present any hazards to the park. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO, 7/20]
High surf from Hurricane Emilia was being reported along the park's coastline yesterday. Based on information gained at a Civil Defense meeting, the park decided to keep backcountry coastal areas closed, but to open the coastal section of the Chain of Craters Road and the eruption site during daylight hours. The eruption site and coastal road were to be closed again yesterday evening. As the storm moves to the northwest, surf conditions are expected to improve. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO, 7/21]
S.B., 38, of Pasadena, California, entered a posted closed area where an active lava flow is entering the ocean on July 24th and received second degree burns when a wave of scalding sea water struck him in the legs. S.B. was treated by rangers at the Volcano House, but refused transportation and refused to sign a medical release. He was then issued a citation for entering a closed area. The park will be issue a press release regarding the case which will stress the importance of visitors respecting signs and closures in the active eruption area. [Jim Martin, Acting Superintendent, HAVO, 7/26]
A tropical storm which struck the island of Hawaii over the weekend and didn't depart for 48 hours deposited 17 inches of rain in the headquarters area. During the first 24 hours, the Hilina Pali rain gauge recorded over 14 inches of rain, and the village of Glenwood, which is located between the park and Hilo, recorded 19 inches of rain. Highway 11 to the west of the park is still closed. Local flooding occurred in the park and caused about $6,000 in damage to the Jaggar Museum. One park employee who lives adjacent to the park had his house hit twice by lightning, which destroyed all electronics in the residence. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 9/20]
On September 22nd, rangers and investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of John Davis, 28, and seized an $1800 painting and several other items which had been taken from the Volcano House, a park concession, over the past year. Information recently obtained indicated that Davis, a recently fired Volcano House employee, had the items at his home. Also seized was a small quantity of drugs. Davis was arrested for outstanding federal warrants that originated from the park, and was also charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine. Theft and possession charges are pending further investigation and indictment. [Scott Hinson, CI, PAAR, 9/22]
Investigators, rangers and a DEA agent arrested two people for cultivating marijuana in the parks Kau Desert area on September 24th. They also seized 54 plants, fertilizer, and other cultivation materials. The arrests mark the culmination of a four-month-long investigation in which various surveillance techniques were employed. Assistance in the form of personnel and equipment was also received from Alaska Region and the Washington Office. [Scott Hinson, WRO, 9/25]
Following the magnitude 8.2 earthquake off northern Japan yesterday morning, a tsunami alert was issued for coastal areas throughout the Pacific. As a consequence, the following actions were taken: * Hawaii Volcanoes - The Hilina Pali Road was closed and the Chain of Craters Road was closed at the Kealakomo picnic shelter, thereby barring access to the current eruption site. All coastal backcountry trails and campsites were closed, including Halape, Keauhou, Apua Point, and Kaaha. Campers and hikers in those areas were air evacuated to higher ground. As of 6 p.m. PDT yesterday, no tsunamis had been reported in the islands, and it appeared that all danger of a tsunami had passed. [Rich O'Guin, ARO, 10/4; Mardie Lane, HAVO, 10/4]
On the afternoon of February 13th, a Hughes 500 helicopter involved in blackline fire operations in the park lost power and autorotated 600 feet to the ground along the coast near Paliuli. The pilot walked away from the crash and was uninjured. The helicopter was not damaged. The Hughes was one of three contract helicopters making water-bucket drops on a fire started by a finger of lava from Pu'u'O'o. L. had just emptied the bucket when his engine failed. OAS and FAA have been advised. [HAVO, 2/15]
On February 9th, R.B., 43, a convicted murderer, escaped from the minimum security prison at Kulani. R.B. showed up at a store just outside the park the following day, called county police, and said he wanted to surrender. County police asked rangers to make the arrest and hold R.B. until they arrived. R.B. was waiting with his hands in the air when rangers and DEA agents arrived. He was arrested without incident and turned over to county police. [CR, HAVO, 2/16]
On the afternoon of February 25th, resource management ranger A.S., 50, and visitor D.O., 63, were standing about 50 feet from a sluggish pahoehoe lava flow at the end of Chain of Craters Road when the flow ignited an underground pocket of methane gas, causing a subterranean explosion and blowing them about four feet into the air. There were about 30 other visitors viewing the lava flow at the time. Two EMT-certified rangers and two physicians in the group of visitors provided emergency first aid. A.S. complained of neck, back and wrist pain; D.O. complained of back and shoulder pain. Both were taken to a nearby hospital and released the following day. The current eruption is providing exceptionally spectacular viewing for visitors; the park has accordingly had to supplement regular interpretation and protection staffing in the area with resource management and maintenance employees to assist with traffic control and interpretation. Although methane explosions are one of the unpredictable hazards associated with lava flows, this is the first reported injury from a methane explosion in the twelve-year history of the current eruption. [Gail Minami, DR, HAVO, 2/28]
Three of four people arrested for car clouts in the park last year have pled guilty to theft and conspiracy charges in federal district court in Honolulu. The arrests stemmed from 22 larcenies from motor vehicles - all with similar MO's - that occurred between May and October of 1994. A joint investigation was initiated by rangers and Hawaii County officers that led to the identification of a number of suspects in both the car clouting incidents and in thefts and use of credit and ATM cards. A search was conducted at their residence and items from 20 of the park cases and from 10 to 15 county cases were recovered. The four suspects were arrested (a fifth remains at large). The first arrested, C.C., 20, was five months pregnant at the time. While being flown to federal marshalls in Honolulu in the company of rangers and FBI agents, C.C. reported that she was experiencing labor pains. An ambulance was summoned to the airport, and C.C. was taken to a local hospital. She did not deliver, though, and the attending physician said that she had apparently pretended contractions in an effort to avoid going to jail. M.N., 20, who had earlier assaulted an officer and fled, was located in Kaneohe; although he again fled on foot, he was caught and arrested. J.M. and M.K. were apprehended without incident. J.M., M.N. and M.K. all pled guilty and will be sentenced in June and July. C.C.'s case is set for trial in July. [Scott Hinson, HAVO, 4/20]
G.W., who was arrested by park investigators and members of a DEA task force last February for cultivation of marijuana in and adjacent to the park, pled guilty to associated charges in federal court in Honolulu and began serving a ten-year prison sentence on March 27th. NPS and DEA seized a Willie's Jeep, a residence and two parcels of land from G.W. and his co- conspirators. [Scott Hinson, CI, HAVO/PAAR, 4/19]
Rangers received a series of eleven reports of car clouts in the park on April 2nd. All the hits occurred within 90 minutes and all had similar MO's. While taking reports from the victims, another visitor contacted rangers and advised them that his vehicle and his son-in-law's vehicle had been broken into, and that his son-in-law, an off-duty county police officer, was in pursuit of the suspects in a vehicle without a radio. Park investigators and rangers joined in the chase and advised the county. The off-duty officer spotted the suspects' vehicle parked at a diner in Naalehu, about 45 miles from the park. The vehicle came back as stolen; some of the off-duty officer's property was seen inside it. Two suspects - O.B., 23, and a juvenile - were arrested. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of items taken from all eleven car clouts, a loaded handgun in the driver's seat, evidence of the drug "ice", and items from about fifteen theft cases that had occurred within the county. The state is handling the juvenile; O.B. has been arraigned in federal court and is being held without bail. [Scott Hinson, CI, HAVO/PAAR, 4/19]
On the morning of May 8th, county police advised that three men who'd escaped from Kulani Correctional Facility the previous day were in or near the park's Namakani Paio campground. Six rangers searched the wooded area behind the campground and apprehended T.M., 24, and B.B., 34, without incident. The third escapee, B.-g.A.N., 24, was arrested with the assistance of county officers that evening near the park boundary in Volcano Village. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 5/9]
Early on the afternoon of May 21st, rangers received a report of two stranded hikers who had intentionally left the Halema'uma'u trail in an attempt to take a shortcut back to the rim of Kilauea. The hikers became lost and began yelling for help after about three hours of wandering around. Other members of the group, who had stayed on the marked trail, heard them and advised rangers. A long-line rescue by helicopter was required to evacuate the pair. [CR, HAVO, 5/22]
K.L.-T., 26, of Hilo, was killed, and Wanda Louis, 28, also of Hilo, was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident on Highway 11 on the evening of June 5th. Preliminary investigation indicates that K.L.-T. was attempting to overtake other vehicles when she lost control of her car. [Scott Hinson, PAAR, 6/6]
At the request of DEA's Honolulu office, criminal investigator Jeffrey Judd brought the park's surveillance camera to Honolulu to assist agents from the Naval Investigative Service film a suspect in his marijuana patch at a naval weapons storage facility. The suspect has set up a sophisticated growing operation which utilized PVC piping to tap into Navy water lines and irrigate his plants. The park's camera, specifically made for this type of operations, was installed on a tree branch directly over the patch. The camera successfully taped the suspect tending his plants for 32 minutes. At one point, he stopped what he was doing and looked directly in the camera lens, only ten feet above him, but failed to see it. Sufficient evidence was obtained for further action, but a herd of wild pigs unfortunately entered the patch and ate about 385 of the plants. The pigs were seen roaming the base shortly thereafter, and appeared to be in a somewhat mellower mood. The water system was not damaged, and investigators hope that the suspect will return to reestablish his operation. [Jeff Judd, CI, HAVO]
E.M.U., 74, was reported missing from a hike on the Kilauea Iki trail on the evening of July 16th. E.M.U. and the ten others in her group planned to hike from the Devastation trail parking lot to Byron's Ledge and across Kilauea Iki crater to the Thurston Lava Tube parking lot. When the group reached the intersection of the Byron's Ledge and Kilauea Iki trails, E.M.U. opted to take the less strenuous route, which terminated at the same parking lot. When she failed to show up, rangers were notified and a hasty search was initiated in conjunction with local SAR team volunteers. A Hawaii Army National Guard helicopter with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) equipment joined the search at 1 a.m. Although FLIR sensors can find people in the night because of the temperature difference between human bodies and the surrounding environment, the National Guard effort proved unsuccessful due to heavy vegetation in the area. Helicopters from two local organizations joined the search at daylight, and E.M.U. was spotted from one of them shortly thereafter. She had a few scratches and scrapes, but was otherwise in good condition. [CR, HAVO]
A joint, four-month-long investigation by agents and investigators from the park, DEA, Naval Investigative Service and Hawaii County vice culminated in late June with a lengthy stakeout of a known marijuana growing operation in the Royal Gardens subdivision. Just after 7 a.m. on June 25th, M.H., a Canadian citizen, entered the area and watered the plants; her companion, G.G., was known to be out in the field at another patch, but didn't come to the location under surveillance. Agents subsequently obtained a search warrant for G.G.'s residence. Although no plants were found in the house, a trail was found to an area where two trays of seedlings were discovered. G.G. was arrested for commercial promotion of marijuana. Another 18 trays with an estimated 5,000 plants which were reported to be at the residence are missing and believed to be in dense forest in the area. Helirappel and long- line missions are continuing in the area, locating the plants as they mature. [CI, HAVO]
R.K., 22, lost control of her Honda Accord while heading westbound on Highway 11 on October 5th. The vehicle went off the road, swerved back into the eastbound lane, and struck a Jeep. R.K. was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 22-month-old daughter, the only passenger in the Accord, was taken to the hospital by two motorists who came upon the accident shortly after it occurred. The driver of the Jeep was medevaced to Hilo Medical Center for treatment of serious fractures; the three passengers in the Jeep were treated for minor injuries at the hospital. An investigation is underway. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO]
On October 17th, R.N., 81, collapsed while seated on a tour bus in the Thurston Lava Tube parking lot. A park maintenance crew was in the area and notified dispatch. R.N.'s daughter and paramedic T.H. immediately began CPR; maintenance employee Herb Botelho soon relieved R.N.'s daughter and continued administering CPR with T.H. until rangers and Kilauea Military Camp medics arrived on scene. The maintenance crew remained on scene and provided traffic control until all units cleared. Medics were unable to revive R.N., who was pronounced dead at a local hospital. [CR, HAVO]
On the morning of November 26th, rangers arrested J.S., 27, and Jose Brito, 30, both Mexican nationals, for possession of 7.3 grams of cocaine and 3 grams of black tar heroin. The total street value of the drugs has been placed at over $12,000. Investigators (NPS, DEA and Hawaii County PD) believe that the two are part of a much larger ring of drug traffickers operating throughout the state. [CR, HAVO]
On the afternoon of January 8th, K.J., 22, and her 14-month-old daughter, both from Colorado, were killed in a two-car accident in the park. Their car, which was being driven by K.J.'s juvenile brother, a local resident, apparently crossed the centerline and was struck broadside by a car being driven in the opposite direction by C.R., 44. C.R., and his passenger, David Trail, were taken to Hilo Medical Center and are both in intensive care. The juvenile was treated and released. Approximately 20 people from several agencies responded to the accident. Fatigue is believed to be a factor in the cause of the accident. Charges are pending for both the accident and for a quantity of packaged marijuana found in one of the vehicles. [Scott Hinson, WRO]
At 8:30 a.m. yesterday morning, staff at the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory called the park communications center and reported that earthquake swarms were occurring under the Keanakakoi area of the summit caldera and that marked inflation of the summit was occurring. They estimated that a lava upwelling was just a kilometer below the surface and advised the park to go on eruption alert. The park did so, implementing ICS (with Yvette Ruan, chief ranger, as IC). The coastal backcountry was closed and evacuated, and the Chain of Crater Road and a portion of Crater Rim Drive were closed. Hawaii County Civil Defense and the FAA closed air space above the summit because of the potential hazard of eruption debris and because of the need for safe air space for any needed USGS and NPS air operations. Park liaison was established with USGS and all cooperators were informed of the eruption emergency. By 11:30 a.m., the lava was less than a half kilometer below the surface; by 11:47 a.m., it became evident that the lava was moving toward the Southwest and Southeast Rift zones, the latter the site of the Pu'u O'o vent which has been active for the past 13 years. At 1:15 p.m., observatory scientists reported that the summit of Kilauea was deflating, and that most of the lava had moved into the Southeast Rift zone and Pu'u O'o area. The vent became very active, with a large, agitated lava pond and flows issuing from the base of the cone. A large number of surface flows with dome fountains appeared on the slopes below the vent. The park was advised that it would be safe to reopen Crater Rim Drive and the summit trail system for visitor use, but that Chain of Craters Road should remain closed because of seismic activity still occurring in the area between Chain of Craters and Makaopuhi. These actions were taken, and the air closure over the summit was lifted. Increased flows in the Pu'u O'o area will not adversely affect visitation and may in fact enhance visitor viewing of volcanic activity, particularly in the evening hours after Chain of Craters Road is reopened. The increased flows will pose a threat, however, to the remaining endangered Akia shrub land on the coast and to area archeological features, including the Wahaula Heiau. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
The inflated summit area subsided on the afternoon of Thursday, February 1st, but seismic activity continued along the Southeast Rift through the remainder of the day. A massive lava flow continued from the Puu O'o vent through the evening, but eventually stopped at the mountain's 600 foot level. By midnight, the glow from the vent had faded markedly. Air reconnaissance on Friday revealed that the lava was actually draining back into the vent from the surrounding area. USGS scientists at the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory advised that it was safe to reopen all areas of the park; that action was accordingly taken. USGS also cautioned park staff to make a special effort on Friday to advise visitors that the heavy fumes covering Kilauea's summit area contained over four parts per million of sulfur dioxide - the highest levels ever recorded in the summit area. Employees with respiratory or heart problems were directed to stay inside. Remaining employees were asked to reduce their physical activity. The superintendent passes on the following accolade: "Enough can't be said regarding the critical roll the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory of the US Geological Service played in managing this incident and providing the comfort zone to allow visitors a close up view of the active vulcanism of Kilauea." [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
An A-Star 350 helicopter owned by Hawaii Helicopters made a forced emergency landing on a pahoehoe lava field along Kilauea's east rift near Mauna Ulu at 7:40 a.m. on February 24th. The helicopter's engine pressure warning light came on, forcing the pilot to take the emergency measure. The helicopter had six passengers on board. The pilot, D.R., and his passengers were transferred to another aircraft and taken to Hilo airport. D.R. initially eluded investigating rangers and refused to cooperate with the investigation. He was eventually interviewed by a ranger from Kaloko-Honokohau, but said that his boss had instructed him not to discuss the accident with anyone. No injuries were reported. The FAA and NTSB have joined the investigation. [Scott Hinson, CI, HAVO]
The park was subjected to severe tropical storm winds over the weekend. Winds blew the roof off of the Volcano House, a concession-managed hotel. There were no injuries, but the roof landed on and damaged several parked and unoccupied cars. Visitors were relocated to other lodging. Many trees are reported down and one campground was closed due to the possibility of injuries to campers. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
Heavy rains began falling throughout the Hawaiian Islands on the evening of Saturday, March 2nd. Over 13 inches fell in the park during the next 24 hours, and winds gusted to over 60 mph. Gusts of wind coming from the crater lifted sections off the roof of the Volcano House Hotel on Sunday afternoon; moments later, all the metal roofing on the section over the dining room, gift shop and bar blew off and into the parking lot in front of the hotel, damaging two rental cars. The hotel was evacuated and accommodations were found for stranded visitors. Due to high winds and saturated ground, the concession cabins and campground at Namakani Paio were closed. At the time of the report yesterday, park maintenance employees were stabilizing loose roofing material and interpretive rangers were preparing to remove historic paintings from the hotel lobby and store them in the collection vault. Power was restored to most locations by evening, but remained out at one or two spots. A full damage assessment is underway. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
Russel A. Bickler, 47, an interpretive ranger who had worked at Hawaii Volcanoes since 1993, was killed in a motor vehicle accident while on his way to work at 8:30 a.m. on the morning of Friday, March 29th. Bickler's girlfriend, park VIP Kersten Johnson, 38, was a passenger in the truck and was seriously injured. T.T., 20, the driver of the other vehicle, a Mazda 626LX, suffered minor injuries. Just prior to the accident, T.T. passed ranger Talmadge Magno, who was heading in the opposite direction; Magno clocked T.T.'s speed at 73 mph. T.T. continued down the road, lost control of the Mazda on a curve, crossed the center line, and slammed into the embankment on the opposite side of the road. The Mazda then spun backwards into an on-coming Pontiac Grand Am, bounced off, went airborne, landed upside down on Bickler's on-coming Toyota pickup, then slid off and came to rest near the truck. Magno, who had turned to follow T.T., came upon the accident scene minutes after it occurred and had to maneuver around the scene to avoid colliding with the wreckage. The drive of the Grand Am, Lori Johnson of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was uninjured; Kersten Johnson suffered a laceration to her forehead, a broken jaw, a broken clavicle, and three broken ribs. A search of T.T.'s vehicle led to the discovery of a plastic pipe containing seven sealed bags of cocaine weighing just over 195 grams and a small amount of crack cocaine. T.T. has been charged with second degree negligent homicide and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. A preliminary hearing will be held tomorrow. T.T. told rangers that he had seen Magno pass him, but apparently didn't realize that the ranger had turned around to follow him. The park has held two post- traumatic event counseling sessions for park employees. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO]
A memorial service for ranger Russel Bickler was held at Camp Minnow Lake, the park's environmental education center, on April 5th. Bickler was instrumental in the establishment of the family camp, which provides environmental education for disadvantaged youths and their families. The Minnow Lake Foundation has established the Russel A. Bickler Memorial Fund for Environmental Education in his honor. This non-profit memorial fund is intended to enable the camp staff to continue his life work - educating children and families about nature and preservation of the environment. Contributions to the fund may be sent to the Minnow Lake Foundation, Box 278, San Marcos, CA 92079-0278 (619-592-9254). The park continues to provide counseling and support for its employees in the aftermath of the accident. Three follow-up critical stress debriefing sessions were held yesterday. Meanwhile, a grand jury has returned an indictment on T.T., the driver of the car which hit Bickler's pickup truck. T.T. was indicted on the first count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. A grand jury hearing has been set for April 24th for the second count of negligent homicide. His trail is to be held on April 29th. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO]
A Buick sedan with three occupants was heading down Chain of Craters Road towards the coastal eruption site when the driver struck a rock wall while approaching a hairpin turn. The car skidded along the shoulder, flipped over, then came to rest. The driver, M.R., and the front passenger, J.V.N., 44, were seriously injured and had to be extricated from the Buick. J.V.N. was transported to a hospital by a rescue helicopter; M.R., who was considered to be stable, was taken by ambulance. K.L., 44, the passenger in the back seat, suffered only minor injuries. M.R.'s condition has since deteriorated and he is now in critical condition. There was low ground fog and intermittent rain at the time of the accident. Speed is considered to have been a contributing factor. About 15 park personnel, including maintenance, fire and patrol staff, responded along with units from local agencies. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO]
J.N., 44, the passenger in the accident that occurred on Chain of Craters Road on the afternoon of May 1st, died early on the morning of May 2nd. The driver, M.R., 76, has been transported to Honolulu for further medical treatment. The road remained closed yesterday due to unsafe conditions caused by accident debris, but was to reopen as soon as fire and maintenance crews could clean up the area. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
On November 26, 1995, J.S. and J.R., both Mexican nationals, were arrested for possession of almost 200 grams of cocaine and a gram of heroin after they crashed their vehicle while attempting to elude a ranger who observed them traveling at a high rate of speed. On May 20th, they pled guilty to charges of possession of the drugs with intent to distribute; they were sentenced, respectively, to 21 and 18 months in federal prison. They will be deported to Mexico after they serve their sentences. [CRO, HAVO]
On May 22nd, a federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted T.T. on charges of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the March 29th accident in which interpretive ranger Russ Bickler was killed. T.T. was also indicted for causing substantial bodily injury to Kersten Johnson, the passenger in Bickler's vehicle, and for possession of about 200 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute, operating a non-insured vehicle without a no-fault insurance policy, and excessive speed. The trial is set for July. [CRO, HAVO]
On Monday, June 10th, two vehicles were heading west along Highway 11 at a high rate of speed. One of them, a Volkswagen Jetta, crossed the center line, left the roadway, hit a tree which took off the driver's side door, then hit a rock mound head-on and came to rest upside down on volcanic ash. The driver and all seven passengers were injured; two were ejected from the vehicle, and one was pinned inside and had to be extricated. They sustained a variety of injuries, including massive facial trauma, collapsed lungs, fractured bones, and multiple internal injuries. The driver has undergone eight hours of reconstructive surgery to his face and jaw and is expected to undergo additional surgery. Blood tests indicate that he had a blood alcohol level of .101. His vehicle was neither registered nor insured. Approximately 30 park, county and military personnel responded to the accident. [CRO, HAVO]
On June 28th, T.T., 20, pled guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the March 29th accident which killed interpretive ranger Russ Bickler. T.T. also pled guilty to charges of excessive speed, driving without insurance, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack, and causing substantial bodily harm to park VIP K.J., a passenger in Bickler's vehicle. He will be sentenced on October 15th. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO]
A ten-year-old boy from Costa Mesa, California, apparently wandered off a park trail near the Sulfur Banks parking lot and slipped chest deep into a steaming earth crack just after noon on July 17th. Rangers responded and provided emergency medical assistance. He was subsequently taken to a hospital in Hilo with second degree burns over his lower body. The temperature in the steam crack was between 140 and 145 degrees. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO]
On the morning of August 23rd, the park received a call from the wife of B.B., 27, of San Leandro, California, advising that he had not returned on his scheduled flight from Hawaii. Investigation revealed that B.B. had registered for a solo hike into the backcountry from Hilina Pali to the coast, and that he was to exit on August 21st. Ranger Jeff Kracht checked the Hilina Pali trail. He found a cloth cross on the trail at the base of the pali (escarpment) and saw what appeared to be a pack further down the trail. Kracht hiked to the location and found B.B.'s body. Indications are that he died from heat-related problems. Hot, dry and windy conditions prevailed in the Hilina Pali area throughout last week. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]
On November 18th, T.T., 21, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the involuntary manslaughter of interpretive ranger Russel Bickler in a motor vehicle accident which occurred in the park on March 29th. T.T. was also ordered to perform 300 hours of community service and had his license suspended for a year. T.T. pled guilty to additional charges of causing substantial bodily injury to a passenger in Bickler's vehicle, to possession with intent to distribute just under 200 grams of cocaine and a half gram of "crack", operating a vehicle without no-fault insurance, and excessive speed. T.T. was speeding through the park when he crossed the center line and collided with two vehicles, one of which was being driven by Bickler. The sentencing marks the conclusion of a seven-and-a-half month investigation by numerous Hawaii Volcanoes rangers. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO]
Park dispatch received a call from the county police on December 11th, asking for assistance in checking out a silent burglary alarm at a residence immediately adjacent to the park. The alarm indicated a burglary in progress, and it would take a while for county officers to reach the house. Rangers Talmadge Magno and Gail Minami and investigators Jeff Judd and Greg Jablonski responded, set up a perimeter around the residence, and contacted, interviewed and held six juveniles and three adults until officers could arrive. Stolen property and other evidence was discovered which linked several of the individuals to two burglaries which had just occurred in the area. All nine were arrested and confessions were obtained which linked all nine in the two burglaries. Residential burglaries are an on-going and increasing problem in the areas adjacent to the park due to the minimal coverage by county police. The park's quick response drew praise from residents, police and the media, and has led to community support for the establishment of a police substation for the area. [Greg Jablonski, Acting CR, HAVO]
A series of intense seismic tremors and a massive deflation of the summit of Kilauea occurred on the evening of January 29th, indicating a magma thrust into the East Rift zone within the park. The park was notified of a possible eruption at 10 p.m. A large, shallow earthquake was felt by park residents at 3 a.m. the next morning; at the same time, a bright glow was seen in the area of Napau Crater in the Southeast Rift zone. Investigation confirmed that three eruptive fissures had appeared in the floor of the crater, producing 50-foot high fountains of lava, and that a large part of the Pu'u O'o cone had collapsed. The three eruptive fissures shut down around 9 a.m., but one of them later resumed erupting. At the time of the report yesterday afternoon, the summit of Kilauea was still deflating, and seismic tremors at the summit continued to be numerous. The eruption is in a remote section of the park and lava flows are not presently threatening populated areas outside the park. A total of 37 park employees are committed to the incident. This is the 54th episode in the continuing Pu'u O'o - Kupianaha eruption. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 1/30]
The Napau Crater eruption continues. Six fissures have been intermittently active, the most recent of which is just a few hundred yards south of the campsite at Napau. Lava from the fissures covers about 64 acres of mostly unvegetated ground. The Pu'u O'o cone is collapsing and has generated a cloud of pulverized red cinder which is blanketing the ground downwind of the cone. Fires ignited by surface flows are being monitored and suppressed as appropriate. Chain of Craters road remains closed, but all summit area trails have been reopened. A total of 48 park employees and two helicopters have been assigned to the incident. Yvette Ruan is IC. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 1/31]
The eruptions occurring in and near Napau Crater waned considerably over the weekend. About 300,000 cubic yards of lava have so far covered 68 acres of land. Lava flows from Pu'u O'o no longer course through lava tubes to the sea, and only residual fuming marks the former path of the underground labyrinth. Even normal steam plumes produced when lava enters the ocean have been reduced to an occasional steam wisp. Noxious gases have risen from the new earth cracks at Napau; depending on the direction of the wind, various places along the Chain of Craters road can be especially malodorous. It's not known how long this pause will last or what may happen next. Sandy Snell-Dobert and Stephen Dobert, both employees of Yellowstone NP, were evacuated from the Napau campground on the morning of the eruption. The park's staff has resumed normal duties, but remains on standby for the next phase of the eruption. All park roads and summit trails have reopened. All backcountry trails were to be reopened yesterday unless seismic and/or volcanic activity increased. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 2/2]
Lava flows which were confined to the Puu O'o/Napau crater areas this spring reached the top of the pali (escarpment) above the Waha'ula Heiau area of the park coast on July 3rd. On the 7th, flows reached the base of the pali and once again began burning and covering the Akia coastal forest, further fragmenting this endemic plant community. On Friday, July 11th, the flow continued across the flats and was less than a half mile above the heiau area. By July 12th, lava had reached the ocean less than 500 yards west of the 700-year-old rock-walled structure. The lava flows are located four miles from the end of the Chain of Craters Road within the park and three miles from the county side. While providing exciting viewing in the evening, the event is also attracting visitors who are hiking into the area unprepared for the heat and rugged terrain. Rangers were busy with visitor safety and management problems related to visitors trying to access the flow over the weekend of the 13th and 14th. The greatest concern over this recent activity is the threat to the Waha'ula Heiau. The last time lava flowed up to and around the heiau was in December of 1990. It is one of the few remaining major archeological resources left in the Kalapana coastal section of the park. Over the last eleven years, flows from the Puu O'o eruption have covered thousands of archeological features and sites within the Kalapana extension. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 7/15]
While doing contract flights for a park resource management project, pilot David Okita of Volcano Heli-Tours overheard aircraft radio traffic indicating that a helicopter had just crashed in the Puu O'o vent of Kilauea Volcano. Okita picked up an initial rescue team of park rangers and flew them to the Puu O'o vent area. Team members found that a single engine bi-plane had gone down about a mile northeast of the vent just outside of the park boundary. Two victims were found near the crash site and were medevaced by helicopter. The third victim had already been transported to the hospital by a private tour helicopter that was in the area at the time of the crash. The pilot was conducting a commercial tour of the active lava area when the plane went down. The initial investigation indicates that the aircraft lost its prop near the volcanic vent and was able to make a partially controlled landing on the lava field. The aircraft sustained major damage. The FAA and Hawaii county police are investigating. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 7/16]
At 3 a.m. on August 11th, park criminal investigator Jeffrey Judd reported that active lava flows had reached the walls of the Waha'ula Heiau and were beginning to flow across the floor of the temple. By 7:30 a.m., lava had covered most of the structures at the site. Waha'ula Heiau contained a complex of heiau (temples) that tradition associated with the high priest Pa'ao, who came from Tahiti or Samoa in the 13th century. A more recent structure in the complex was used by Kamehmeha I and remained in use until the year 1819, when the Kapu system of government was overturned. The Heiau is believed to be the origin point of the political and social system that evolved into the Hawaiian culture described in Captain Cook's visit in the 1700s and has been called the "Classic Hawaiian Culture." Over the past 13 years, thousands of significant archeological features have been covered by the advancing lava flows from the Puu O'o eruption. The flow continues. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 8/11]
On Friday, August 24th, ranger Neil Akana noted that the ignition switch was "punched" out in an occupied but unregistered vehicle parked on Chain of Craters Road. Akana contacted the occupant, who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, and attempted to question him about the vehicle. Akana recognized the occupant as D.A. (no relation) from an earlier park investigation of a stolen vehicle. D.A. was unable to give coherent answers to any questions and was arrested for being under the influence. At the time of the arrest, he was out on bail from the state on attempted murder charges stemming from a narcotics-related drive-by shooting which had occurred three miles from the park two weeks earlier. Information developed by ranger James Mar indicated that a second person was with D.A. prior to his arrest. A contract helicopter was diverted from a nearby project and located the woman a few minutes later about a mile from the vehicle. Ranger Talmage Magno contacted the woman, who admitted that the vehicle was hers and that she was armed with a handgun. Magno arrested her for carrying a concealed weapon and recovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun from her waistband. Narcotics, paraphernalia, narcotics packaging material and over $700 in cash were recovered. Federal charges are pending, and the state has moved to revoke D.A.'s bail on the attempted murder charges. Police detectives determined that the weapon recovered by Magno had not been used in the state's pending case. [Greg Jablonski, Acting CR, HAVO, 8/24]
Around 9 a.m. on the morning of September 1st, E.R., 38, of Littleton, Colorado, and her companion, K.D., started hiking down the park's seven-mile Keauhou Trail en route to a coastal campsite at Halape. The two had spent the night in the park and had a healthy breakfast before starting out on their hike. About halfway down the trail, E.R. began to stumble, became disoriented, and could not speak coherently. The pair continued to slowly make their way down the trail until E.R. collapsed around 2 p.m. at a point about two miles from Halape. K.D., a doctor, recognized that E.R. was suffering from the high heat (93 degrees) and humidity and made numerous attempts to rehydrate E.R. and keep her temperature down. K.D. eventually left her and hiked the remaining two miles to Halape to get help. She contacted two men; one hiked out and summoned help, the other, R.V., a doctor from New Zealand, returned to the scene with K.D. and joined her in the attempt to keep E.R. alive. The park was notified of the incident around 9:30 p.m. and ranger James Mar flew by helicopter to the area with county fire and rescue personnel, arriving at 11:20 p.m. K.D. and R.V. advised that E.R. had succumbed about an hour previously. The body was flown out, and an autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death. K.D. told investigators that the pair had prepared well for the hike and that they were both in good physical condition. They had plenty of food and water and drank about six quarts of water between them that day. They were not prepared, however, for the extreme heat and humidity. [Yvette Ruan, CR, Mardie Lane, PIO, HAVO, 9/3]
Over the last four months of 1997, park personnel were involved in several cooperative drug interdiction and eradication operations: On September 25th, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources asked for assistance in detecting and identifying the people who were cultivating marijuana on nearby state lands. The park's surveillance video equipment was employed to monitor the site over a three-week period, during which two suspects were identified. On November 13th, a multi-agency arrest team comprised of rangers, state officers and DEA agents arrested the two men after a short pursuit across a lava flow. The men were wearing ski masks and camouflage clothing in an effort to conceal their identifies. The pair had just harvested 650 sensimilla marijuana plants. Search warrants served at their residences produced $83,000 in cash, 500 marijuana plants being grown indoors, drug paraphernalia, and evidence that hundreds of additional plants had been harvested. The state again requested assistance on December 1st to identify the suspects at another cultivation site a half mile from the park's boundary. Surveillance was maintained for several weeks, but proved fruitless. Rangers and state officers removed 650 sensimilla plants valued at about $1.26 million. A joint marijuana eradication operation in December involving park staff and a county narcotics unit netted an additional 79,833 plants with an estimated value of $159 million. A cultivation site was found within the park a mile off a popular hiking trail in November. The site was monitored, but no suspects were identified. Fifty plants with a value of about $50,000 were uprooted and destroyed. Marijuana cultivation in the state is increasing from last year's record levels; the number of plantations close to or in the park is increasing as well. [Greg Jablonski, LES, HAVO, 12/31]
The on-going eruption of Mount Kilauea has again moved into an active cycle. Over the last few weeks, a number of flows have broken through the surface, and one near the old visitor center built a pad measuring about 160 by 160 feet and seven feet thick in a matter of hours. Over the Christmas weekend, an eleven-acre bench collapsed, and a four-acre bench fell apart on January 3rd. Shortly after the latter event, which was observed by a number of visitors, a huge river-like flow appeared on the surface and flowed into the ocean. Sulphur dioxide levels have been relatively high, reaching two parts per million on January 2nd and causing the park to close the visitor center for a couple of hours. Geologists indicate that there is no sign of activity slowing in the foreseeable future. This eruption of Kilauea began on January 3, 1983 and constitutes the longest-lived rift activity in the history of the Hawaiian islands. During that period, the park has lost the Waha'ula visitor center, tens of thousands of archeological features (including the temple complex at Waha'ula Heiau), the Kamoamoa campground, and stretches of Chain of Craters road. The impacts to local communities have also been extensive; the economic loss has exceeded $100 million. Rivers of lava have consumed 181 homes, a church, a community center, and a grid of power and phone lines. Lava has covered more than 16,000 acres of lowland and rain forest. Every minute, another 130,000 gallons of molten rock issue from cracks in Kilauea's flank; every day, the volcano emits more than 2,500 tons of sulfur dioxide. USGS scientists have determined that the volcano's emissions are twice as bad as those of EPA's worst stationary point source polluter. Respirators with canisters designed to filter out hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide and airborne glass particles are standard ranger issue. Since 1983, Kilauea has added more than 550 acres of new land to the island. [Yvette Ruan, CR, and Mardie Lane, PR, HAVO, 1/12]
The park received a report of a missing hiker at the eruption site on Mount Kilauea at 2:20 a.m. on January 13th. Paul Souders reported that he and his friend C.P., 51, had hiked out to one of the lava benches to see and take pictures of an active lava flow. Around 9 p.m., C.P. decided to hike back alone. The pair agreed to meet later at the vehicle. Souders continued taking pictures, and headed back to the car about 90 minutes later. When he found that C.P. was not there, he used his cellular phone to make a 911 call and report him missing. A hasty team searched the area but found no sign of C.P. Souders and a team of eight rangers set out later in the morning and searched the area from both sides of the eruption site. A county rescue helicopter and a tour helicopter in the area also provided assistance. An observer in the latter soon spotted a male matching C.P.'s description standing in a lava field and waving. Ranger Neil Akana and forestry technician Greg Herbst contacted C.P. and found that he was uninjured. He said that he'd become disoriented while hiking back to the car. He saw what he believed were car lights and headed northwest in that direction. The light, however, was the glow emanating from the lava through "skylights" (openings) in the lava tube. C.P. became exhausted and decided to stay put until morning, when he could find his way back to the car. The area of the eruption site near two active lava benches continues to attract heavy visitation despite the arduous, seven-mile round-trip hike. The two benches remain closed to visitors due to the danger of collapse. The most recent such collapse occurred on January 3rd, when about four acres of the coastline collapsed into the ocean. [Gail Minami, HAVO, 1/15]
The park was notified of a structural fire in the resource management shop at 10:30 p.m. on March 15th. The park's structural fire brigade responded along with local fire companies. When units arrived on scene, they found the building's interior engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the building suffered about $30,000 in damage. The building was used by the resource management division to store tools, ammunition, radios and other equipment. Contents lost included several radios, rechargers, kitchen appliances and field equipment. The total value of lost equipment has been placed at $20,000. The county fire department's fire inspector is assisting with the preliminary investigation, which is focusing on some suspicious activity. No one was injured in the incident. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO, 3/17]
Early on the morning of April 28th, the park received a report of a missing hiker in the area where lava from the volcano's on-going eruption is flowing. S.-D.T., 26, and S.K. had walked out to the area from the closed Kalapana Road with some friends around 11 p.m. the previous evening. S.-D.T. and S.K. decided to get closer to the flow and hiked out to the west side of a littoral cone. S.-D.T. was in the lead and called back to S.K. to be careful because the ground was unstable. The steam from the flows was so intense that it fogged up S.K.'s glasses and he could no longer see well. He suddenly realized that he was no longer able to either see or hear S.-D.T.; he called to him, and found that S.-D.T. had fallen. S.K. called back to him, but this time got no response. He left the area to get the rest of the group. They returned to the point where they thought S.-D.T. had fallen, but could not find him and accordingly opted to seek help. They had difficulty locating their vehicle, though, and wandered around for about five hours before locating it. County dispatch received a call from a member of the group at 6:30 a.m. and notified the park. A county helicopter was airborne within 30 minutes, and rangers Gail Minami, Neil Akana and Al Aviles responded by land and began a ground search. Additional rangers, personnel from other agencies, a boat, and other helicopters soon joined the search. The effort proved fruitless, however, and the search was called off late yesterday afternoon. Although S.-D.T. is presumed dead, search operations will resume at first light this morning. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 4/28]
The search for S.-D.T., 26, who disappeared while hiking near active lava flows on the evening of April 27th, continued yesterday, but without result. Rangers flew the area for two hours yesterday morning, checking all possible caves and cracks along the shoreline. Ranger Jeff Judd was long-lined into the area where S.-D.T. apparently fell. Judd checked for footprints and looked for signs of S.-D.T. in cracks and crevices; although he recovered S.-D.T.'s flashlight, Judd found no other sign of him. Additional searchers were being deployed at the time of the report, but consideration was being given to concluding the search effort if nothing else was found by the end of the day. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 4/29]
The search for S.-D.T., 26, of Laupahoehoe was terminated yesterday due to the lack of any clues as to his whereabouts. It is presumed that he died and that his body washed out to sea. S.-D.T. reportedly climbed over the western edge of a cinder cone, lost his footing, and slipped and fell 25 feet onto a lava bench (a shelf of new land created where the lava enters the sea). Operations yesterday included extensive searches of eleven miles of park coastline from Apua Point to Kamokuna. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 4/30]
As was noted on Friday, the search for S.-D.T., 26, has been terminated. Both the search and associated investigation have led park staff to believe that he is dead and that his body will not be found. S.-D.T. was born and raised in the islands and was said to have been familiar with the area. USGS personnel who were in the area a few hours before the incident occurred report that there were active flows on both sides of the bench where S.-D.T. presumably fell. This entire area is closed to the public, but visitors continue to disregard the posted warnings in order to get closer to the lava flows. The remaining members of S.-D.T.'s group were issued violation notices for entering a closed area. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 5/1]
On Friday, June 26th, a ranger stopped a vehicle being driven by D.R., 33, for expired license plates and an expired inspection sticker. D.R. was advised that he would be cited for multiple violations and that his vehicle would be towed; he became argumentative and repeatedly refused to get out of his car when ordered to do so. He then started the vehicle and drove off, pushing the ranger into the traffic lane, where he was nearly struck by oncoming vehicles. The ranger and a park criminal investigator pursued the fleeing vehicle for 21 miles at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The pursuit ended when the D.R. drove his vehicle into a residential area adjacent to the highway. Rangers and assisting officers were unable to locate it. The U.S. attorney's office has issued an arrest warrant for D.R. for assault (18 USC 113); charges of fleeing from an officer and multiple traffic offenses are pending. [Greg Jablonski, HAVO, 6/26]
Park dispatch was notified of a motor vehicle accident on Crater Rim Drive around 1 p.m. on July 9th. Driver G.P., 55, evidently suffered a cardiac arrest while operating a tour bus. Passengers initially thought that he'd dropped something on the floor when he slumped over the wheel. The first indication that something was seriously wrong occurred when the bus veered across the center line and into oncoming traffic. The bus ran over several ten-inch diameter trees, then came to rest 40 feet off the roadway and up an embankment. The 40 passengers were shaken but uninjured. An orthopedic surgeon, a physician, and a nurse visiting the park saw the crash and began emergency medical treatment before rangers and medics arrived on scene. G.P. was transported to Hilo Hospital by county ambulance and was pronounced dead upon arrival. The accident occurred just four-tenths of a mile past 150-foot-deep Keanakakoi Crater, which is immediately adjacent to the roadway. Rangers, investigators, fire personnel, maintenance employees, and fee collection staff assisted at the incident. The tour group has started a fund to donate money to Toys for Tots in G.P.'s name, as he was very active in local community charities. [Greg Jablonski, CI, HAVO, 7/11]
On August 9th, rangers received a report of a woman soliciting sex for money at the Namakani Paio concession rental cabin area. They contacted the woman, who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics and subsequently admitted to being a heroin addict. R.D., 38, and her male companion, K.C., 41, were arrested on state warrants. A syringe and a metal pipe with drug residue were found in R.D.'s possession. The U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu was contacted; federal charges of prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia will be filed and served on R.D. when she is released from prison by the state. [CRO, HAVO, 8/10]
Mount Kilauea remains active. This eruption of Kilauea began on January 3, 1983 and constitutes the longest-lived rift activity in the history of the Hawaiian islands. On the evening of October 4th, residents near the volcano were shaken by a 4.6 earthquake. The epicenter was only about a half mile under the surface. There were about a dozen after-shocks, the strongest of which registered at 4.1. Pu'u O'o has also been fuming heavily. New flows since August 14th have covered 1,063 acres along the coast; the total bench area presently covers about 28 acres. [Yvette Ruan, CR, HAVO, 10/5]
The eruption of Kilauea Volcano, which began on January 3, 1983, continues. The following provides both background on the eruption and a report on activity this month: The eruptive process is very dynamic, and can change quickly. Over the years, a mosaic of countless flows has buried 10 miles of coastal highway to a depth of up to 75 feet and created nearly one square mile of new land. Most of the time, lava is confined to tubes which transport lava directly from the vent into the sea, a distance of about seven miles. Deltas of unstable new land are formed at the ocean entries. The lava tubes may rupture occasionally, producing surface lava flows, and at the same time stopping or slowing the flow of lava into the sea. At this time, lava is flowing into the sea at three points at Kamokuna, three miles east of the end of the Chain of Craters Road in the park's Coastal District. The easternmost entry has been active since August, 1997, and is slowing dying because ruptures in the main tube have diverted the lava elsewhere. Such a rupture in September, 1998, produced a surface lava flow which eventually reached the sea just west of the August 1997 entry. The September entry has built a delta of new land 470 feet wide which extends out 560 feet from the former shoreline. Deltas or benches such as this one are notoriously unstable and collapse without warning. The largest collapse (25 acres) occurred a few years ago. Lava from another rupture reached the sea to the west of the other entries on October 19th. That flow has already built a 980 foot wide bench which extends out 200 feet. Although three miles distant, this westernmost delta is now visible from the end of the road. Red lava is sometimes visible after sundown. The Pu`u `O`o vent is producing all the lava which is flowing into the sea. The vent area is complex and slowly changes, with new pits, cracks, and areas of collapse forming. The plumbing system is not clearly understood by geologists, but they have determined that the entire area is unstable and hazardous. Recent measurements put the volume of lava erupted at 550,000 cubic yards per day. [CRO, HAVO, 10/29]
Maintenance worker Larry Moreno was involved in a serious on-the-job accident at the park's auto shop facility on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 6th. The shop's roof was being pressure washed prior to painting. Moreno went on the roof to check on how the pressure washer was working and fell through a plastic sky light into the shop storage area below. He was treated at the scene by park personnel and county paramedics, then taken to Hilo Hospital. Moreno suffered a fractured elbow, fractured wrist, lacerations on one leg, and a compressed spine. He underwent surgery for the fractures on Thursday, and will likely be in a traction device for the spinal injury. Additional details to follow. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 1/8]
In September, 1998, three marijuana cultivation sites were found in a frequently used visitor area adjacent to the park's Kaau boundary. A six- week-long investigation was begun which involved remote monitoring of the site with video cameras and sensors and the manning of observation posts by rangers, investigators, and state and DEA agents. Rangers and park investigators subsequently arrested W.F., 20, J.D., 19, and D.B., Jr., 22, while they were harvesting plants. A pit bull belonging to one of the men was sprayed with OC pepper spray after charging the arresting rangers and was captured without injury to the animal. Under a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney, the three were allowed to plead guilty to full misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana in lieu of the felony cultivation charges. On January 20th, W.F., J.D. and D.B. were each sentenced to three years of supervised probation, mandatory random drug testing, and mandatory enrollment in a drug abuse program. There were also required to find jobs and to serve a total of 450 hours of community service. A seized vehicle was ordered returned to the mother of one of the men due to her medical condition and need of transportation for medical treatment. The park is a member of the joint federal-state domestic cultivation and eradication and suppression program (DCESP). Park staff provide training, technical expertise and manpower in joint operations affecting the park. Due to the volume of plants seized in the state - over 500,000 plants were seized by DCESP in 1998 - prosecution in state courts is limited. [Greg Jablonski, HAVO, 2/3]
A marijuana plot containing 18 plants was found in the park last fall and placed under surveillance. Evidence suggested that the grower had been watering and tending his plants in the late evening and early morning hours during periods when the moon was full. The crop was harvested during a full moon in late November - just 30 minutes before the surveillance team was going to set up operations. On February 28th, criminal investigator Jeff Judd, who had been conducting weekly checks of the patch, discovered a new patch which contained 22 marijuana seedlings. Daily checks indicated that the second patch was also being tended to at night. Sensors were employed to establish the grower's entry dates and times. The readings indicated that he was entering the patch either after 10:30 p.m. or at 5:30 a.m., when there were no patrols on duty. Judd and a ranger were watching the patch on the evening of April 25th when a vehicle drove up with its headlights off. A man, later identified as Adam Rogoff, 27, entered the patch and was observed watering plants and planting new seedlings. The moon was almost full so he didn't need any light, thereby avoiding detection by patrol rangers. Rogoff was arrested and charged with cultivation of marijuana (21 USC 841). He later gave a full confession and statement and agreed to a consent search of his house and premises. [Jeffrey Judd, CI, HAVO, 4/28]
At 9:40 p.m. on June 29th, rangers received a report that a woman had fallen into an earth crack about 75 yards inland from a point where molten lava currently cascades into the sea. L.H., 19, of Branchport, New York, and four companions had hiked three miles east along the park's coastline from the end of the Chain of Craters Road. Group members subsequently admitted to rangers that they had read but disregarded area closed signs posted near the lava flow. Soon after entering the closed area, L.H. fell 30 feet into the 75-foot-deep crack, landing on a narrow ledge. Four rangers and a county firefighter located L.H., who was conscious and alert but suffering from head and leg injuries. A ranger was lowered into the crack and outfitted L.H. with a climbing harness and helmet. She was then raised out of the crack, flown by helicopter to a waiting ambulance, and taken to Hilo Hospital. Group members were cited for entering a closed area. [Neil Akana, PR, HAVO, 7/4]
On Friday, August 13th, the park was notified by county Civil Defense of the potential hazard developing with Tropical Storm Eugene and Hurricane Dora, both of which were south of the Hawaiian Islands and moving west. Due to the threat of high and unpredictable surf, ocean surges and strong winds, the park activated the incident command system and closed all backcountry trails and campsites to both day and overnight use. Hawksbill turtle monitoring sites were also closed. Both storms continued to move west toward the islands on Saturday. A high surf advisory was issued for all east and southeast facing shores on the island of Hawaii - including all four of the park's coastal camping areas. Non-coastal backcountry trails and campsites were reopened, but coastal areas remained closed. A helicopter was employed to warn all backcountry users at the coastal sites and urge them to evacuate by Sunday morning. On Sunday, Tropical Storm Eugene was downgraded to a tropical depression and passed well to the south of the islands with no impact. Hurricane Dora reintensified, but was expected to pass 200 miles south of Hawaii with little impact to the islands. The park planned to reopen all backcountry sites on Monday. [Jeff Judd, IC, HAVO, transmitted 8/15, received on 8/18]
During the week of August 22nd, rangers participated in a multi-agency marijuana eradication operation throughout the island of Hawaii. The operation, under the aegis of the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources, included officers from Kauai, Maui, Honolulu and Hawaii counties and agents from DEA. A total of 17,000 plants ranging in height from seedlings to nine feet were located and destroyed during the six days of the operation. Eradication efforts were conducted on both side of the park, almost to the boundary on the east side and close to the Thurston lava tube, one of the park's most heavily visited sites. No arrests were made, and no booby traps were found. The operation is part of a fall and early winter effort to locate and eradicate growers' late season harvests, although operations continue on the island throughout the year due to the mild winters. [Jeff Judd, CI, HAVO, 9/7]
A Pipe Navaho Chieftain operated by Big Island Air crashed into Mauna Loa on Saturday, September 25th, killing the pilot and all nine passengers. The commercial flight flew out of Keahole Airport on Saturday afternoon for a tour around the island and back to the airport. The plane was last heard from by air traffic controllers at 5:21 p.m. The Coast Guard began a search that evening after receiving an overdue flight report from Big Island Air, but failed to find the aircraft. A county fire and rescue helicopter joined the search early the following morning and spotted the wreckage of the aircraft at the 10,500-foot level of the 13,600-foot mountain. The park was notified at 6:30 a.m. A joint incident command was established to coordinate the recovery of the victims, facilitate the FAA/NTSB investigation, and ultimately remove the wreckage from the park wilderness area. At the time of yesterday's report, family members were still being contacted by the American Red Cross. The bodies of nine of the ten victims had been removed. Indications are that the plane made a hard impact, slid about 75 yards, rolled over and burned. Big Island Air has been in operation for 14 years. The pilot reportedly had more than 10,000 hours of flight experience. Acting chief ranger Gail Minami is IC. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 9/26; Associated Press, 9/27]
During the week of October 18th, rangers and state DNR officers conducted a joint interagency marijuana eradication mission in the Kau and Puna Districts of Hawaii. Both of these districts border the park along much of their lengths. A total of 27,000 marijuana plants, ranging in size from seedlings to seven feet tall, were located and destroyed. Many were in full budding stages and in the process of being harvested. At the known going rate within Hawaii, the potential street value was about $54 million. On October 21st, a very large growing operation was found near South Point Road and destroyed. It took two people almost two hours to seize all the plants and equipment. The plantation consisted of a sophisticated watering system that ran to several hundred pots with marijuana in various stages of growth; also found were tools, Pro Mix potting soil, solo sprayers, and hundreds of feet of black coiled tubing used to transport water from an unknown source to the plants. It appeared that water was pumped from a truck to the plants at night. An officer in the spotting helicopter unfortunately broadcast his find over the tactical frequency, rendering a stakeout of the area unfeasible. The plants were therefore seized the same day. No suspects were identified and no arrests were made. There were no booby traps at any of the sites. Marijuana cultivation is on the increase on the island because sugar cane is no longer being grown and marijuana is now the cash crop. [Jeffrey Judd, CI, HAVO, 10/27]
Parks throughout the system are making preparations for millennium-related events which will take place on or around New Years Eve. The Morning Report will provide continuing updates on those preparations and on the activities themselves as they occur. Today's initial entry comes from Jerry McCarthy in Pacific West Region: o Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - The park has received a surge of requests for access to the summit of Mauna Loa and to the coastal backcountry. Leave for law enforcement and emergency personnel has been canceled; all will be on duty from December 29th to January 1st. Parks making similar preparations are encouraged to submit short summaries to the Morning Report. [Editor]
During the week of January 31st, rangers participated in the first of several multi-agency marijuana eradication missions, finding and destroying 47,994 plants valued at almost $50 million. The plants ranged in size from seedlings to six feet high. The operation took place in the park's Puna and Kau districts, which border the east and west boundaries. Several sites were within 200 yards of the east boundary, fairly close to the popular Thurston lava tube. No arrests or seizures were made; no indoor growing sites or booby traps were found. This is early in the year for such a large number of plants, indicating that this will be a busy season for both growers and eradication teams. [Jeff Judd, CI, HAVO, 2/14]
Rangers assisted in an interagency marijuana eradication mission in areas near the park's borders between May 7th and 12th. The task force located and destroyed 17,936 plants ranging in size from seedlings to fully mature and budding eight-foot plants. The street value has been placed at $35.9 million. Surveillance continues at one location. No booby traps were found; no arrests have yet been made. [Jeff Judd, CI, HAVO, 5/22]
On September 6th, K.N., 50, sustained second degree burns to his legs when he fell into a steam vent near park headquarters. K.N. was traveling off-trail in a signed area when he broke through the crust over an active steam vent and fell in to his waist. He was able to pull himself out and walk to the visitor center for help. K.N. was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Hilo. The ambient air temperature at the vent site was measured at approximately 204 degrees Fahrenheit. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, 9/6]
The lone occupant of a truck died in an unwitnessed high-speed accident and fire on Highway 11 at 9 p.m. on September 13th. The victim's identity has not yet been established. The highway was closed for over an hour. The park's special agent and rangers are working with forensic pathologists and others to determine the driver's name. [Paul Ducasse, CR, HAVO, 9/14]
The park received over 20 inches of rain during a twelve-hour period on the night of Wednesday, November 1st. Heavy rains, flash flood warnings, and lightning were predicted to subside by 2 a.m. Thursday morning, but persisted until 3 p.m., giving an overall rainfall total of between 25 and 30 inches. Highway 11 through the park was shut down due to flooded areas east and west of the park. Only 35 of the park's 120 employees were able to make it into work due to the condition of the highway and other flooding. The park went into a 24-hour ICS operation. Park roads and facilities were closed, but the visitor center was staffed throughout the day for visitors who had stayed in the park overnight. Eight people who were at numerous locations in the backcountry between the ocean and the top of Mauna Loa (13,677 feet) have been accounted for. The park will likely be back to normal by this evening. [Paul Ducasse, CR/IC, HAVO, 11/2]
On the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th, the park was notified that the bodies of two hikers had been found at the point where a lava flow enters the ocean about four miles west of the end of Chain of Craters Road. The two hikers were N.E., 41, from Volcano, Hawaii, and I.S.K., 42, from Washington D.C. Special agent Jeffrey Judd and ranger Jeff Kracht investigated. There was no indication of a bench collapse or explosion in the area. Both hikers had severe burns and cuts and abrasions on their hands and knees. Both were fully clothed and found in an area not far from where the lava enters the ocean. They had food, water, flashlights, and raingear with them. The two had hiked out to the lava flow on the last day of a severe storm which hit the island of Hawaii especially hard and caused major flooding. There were reports of severe thunder and lightning in the coastal area that day. No foul play is suspected. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO, 11/6]
On the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th, two hikers - N.E., 41, from Volcano, Hawaii, and I.S.K., 42, from Washington, D.C. - were found dead near the point where a lava flow enters the ocean about four miles west of the end of Chain of Craters Road. They had entered the eruption site early on the afternoon of Friday, November 3rd. An autopsy revealed that both suffered severe second-degree burns to much of their body from superheated steam, and that severe bronchial spasms were a compounding factor. A final report will be issued once lab results of lung tissue are analyzed. Special agent Jeffrey Judd flew members of N.E.'s family to the site on November 10th to provide them with some sense of closure. The cause of the deaths remains a mystery, and it's possible that the investigation may never really explain how the incident occurred. There have been two previous fatalities resulting from visitors getting too close to the point where the lava enters the ocean. In April, 1993, P.N. disappeared when the half acre he was standing on collapsed into the sea. In April, 1998, S.-D.T. disappeared when he slid off a littoral cone to go body-surfing between the rivers of lava entering the ocean. Neither body was recovered. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO, 11/14]
Navy lieutenant S.L. fell about 100 feet off a cliff into the caldera of Kilauea Volcano on August 5th. S.L. was on shore leave and visiting the park with shipmates from the frigate USS Crommelin. They were taking pictures from the Steam Bluffs overlook when S.L.'s hat blew off and over the railing. S.L. went over the railing to get it, lost his footing, and disappeared from sight. He landed in a tree, stopping what could have been a 600-foot fall to the caldera floor. Rangers formed a technical rescue team with the assistance of Hawaii County FD rescue personnel and Kilauea Military Camp firefighters. S.L. was extracted from the caldera and flown by helicopter to Hilo Hospital, where he was treated for abrasions, contusions and a broken toe. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, 8/7]
R.S., 48, of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, was found dead at the top of a talus slope at the base of the crater rim walls of Kilauea Crater on Saturday, October 20th. Initial indications are that R.S. fell about 200 feet to her death. She was reported missing by her husband early on Saturday morning. Rangers, with assistance from the Hawaii County Fire Department and the Kilauea Military Camp Fire Department, were able to get to the scene, conduct an on-scene investigation and remove the body. The fall was not witnessed and an investigation is currently underway to determine the circumstances surrounding her death. An autopsy will be held within the next few days. R.S. was a lieutenant commander in the Public Health Service and a registered nurse at Wewoka Indian Health Center in Wewoka, Oklahoma. [Paul Ducasse, CR, HAVO, 10/21]
The lava eruption which started the Kupukupu Fire (see below) is continuing to make its way to the sea. When the lava made it to within a mile of the coast, it became evident that the visitor contact station at the end of Chain of Craters Road was directly in its path. Park personnel using heavy equipment were able to move the contact station and associated facilities about a half mile away from the lava's projected route. The lava has caused increased visitation during early evening and nighttime hours. Since there's generally nobody working in the park after 5 p.m., the park has gone into ICS to handle these thousands of extra nightly visitors. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, 6/18]
While in the midst of dealing with the eruption from Kilauea (above) and the associated fire (below), the park had a number of significant law enforcement incidents, including a high-speed pursuit of a stolen car, a thwarted suicide, and a fatal motor vehicle accident. Louis Alana III was arrested in Kona after he crashed a stolen vehicle following a 65-mile, high-speed chase. The stolen vehicle was spotted by rangers outside the park, and Alana took off when rangers attempted to stop him. The pursuit continued on a dozen miles of highway within the park, then was turned over to Hawaii County PD after Alana left the park. Rangers working a roadblock for the Kupukupu Fire discovered a man from Keaau standing on the edge of Pauahi Crater past the barricades. He was very agitated and threatened to jump into the crater and kill himself when park personnel approached. They determined that he was under psychiatric care by the VA and was suffering from severe emotional distress. DR Gail Minami and special agent Jeff Judd talked with the man for over five hours, trying to dissuade him from jumping. During that time, he repeatedly moved toward the crater, showing no concern for his safety. Minami and Judd were able to coax him from the crater's edge to a point where rangers hiding in the bushes were able to tackle and restrain him. He was taken to Hilo Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Finally, rangers responded to a rollover accident in which 17-year-old J.A. of Keaau was ejected from the vehicle. J.A. and one other passenger were taken to a hospital where she subsequently died from her injuries. The vehicle evidently hydroplaned, and J.A. was not wearing her seatbelt. The investigation continues. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, 6/18]
The first recorded save with an AED (automated external defibrillator) in an NPS unit on Hawaii occurred on July 21st. A 67-year-old man was walking on a paved road near the current eruption site when he suffered a heart attack. An off-duty nurse and physician who were in the area began CPR within a few moments. About five minutes later, rangers arrived on scene with a Lifepak 500 and delivered three series of shocks to the patient. After the third shock, his pulse and breathing returned. A county ALS ambulance arrived on scene about 40 minutes after the incident occurred and transported him to the hospital, where he was last reported to be in stable condition. [Phil Akers, EMS Coordinator, HAVO]
Two USGS Biological Resource Division (BRD) volunteers were completing field work in a dense section of rain forest near the Thurston lava tube on the afternoon of September 9th when they decided to separate, then meet back at their vehicle an hour later. When one of them failed to return by dark, the other notified rangers. BRD volunteers, volunteer firefighters from a local community, firefighters from Kilauea Military Camp and rangers began a search for her shortly thereafter. After about four hours of searching in bad weather, she was found by ranger Phil Akers and a volunteer firefighter. They were unable to immediately extricate her from the backcountry, however, due to the presence of a large earth crack in the area. Ranger Neil Akana and another volunteer joined them a short time later, and the two teams were able to carefully and successfully negotiate the dangerous terrain. The volunteer was tired and wet but uninjured. [Submitted by John Broward, Incident Commander, Hawaii Volcanoes NP]
The body of a middle-aged woman was found about a half mile from Chain of Craters Road on the morning of Tuesday, October 15. The victim had some contact burns from cooling lava, but there were no apparent signs of foul play. Later that day, Hawaii County PD notified the park that they had a missing person's report from a cruise ship that had docked in Hilo which they'd received on Monday. Investigators determined that the victim was that same missing person - J.G., 45, of Fort Myers, Florida. J.G. had been on a van tour of the park. She'd failed to meet at the tour bus at the appointed time, and they left without her after waiting for about a half hour. Evidence indicates that J.G. died from exposure to the elements, exacerbated by a previous medical condition. The area where she was found is in open terrain and within sight of the road. It appears that the lava-caused contact burns occurred after she'd died. The investigation continues. [Submitted by Paul Ducasse, Chief Ranger]
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.
A "mayday" distress call was received from an unknown helicopter just
before 10 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, June 15th. Shortly thereafter,
an NPS contract helicopter already working on a fire and another SAR in
the park located the crash site, which was also on fire. Helicopters
working on the large fire were dispatched to provide bucket drops, and
rangers were flown to the site. They determined that none of the four
people aboard that Hughes 500-D had survived the crash. The helicopter
was owned by Tropical Helicopters, which conducts scenic helicopter
tours of the area. NTSB is on scene; the bodies have been removed and
autopsies will be conducted today. District ranger Gail Minami is IC for
this incident, which is one of four incident commands currently
operating in the park. The other three are for a SAR for a missing
person, the 4,500-acre fire previously reported in the Morning Report,
and the current lava eruption.
Rangers began a ground and air search for a missing hiker in the
eruption area on the morning of June 13th. The park had received a call
from a hotel in Kailua-Kona reporting that a guest was missing and had
not used his room since June 4th. He was identified as T.L.,
44, of Indiana. An hour later, rangers found his rental car at the
eruption site at the end of Chain of Craters Road. T.L. had last been
seen hiking in the area on the morning of June 6th. The search was
suspended for two days after the helicopter accident that killed four
people on June 15th due to the number of people assigned to the crash
scene, then resumed on the 17th. Thirty park employees searched on the
ground and from the air, but no sign of T.L. was found. The search has
now been scaled back to foot patrols in the eruption site.
Rangers arrested R.S., 22, for breaking into a vehicle at a
pullout along the 15-mile-long Chain of Craters Road at 4:30 a.m. on
Saturday, July 5th. The park had been hit by a string of 20 car clouts
over the past two weeks, all occurring in the late night and early
morning hours. Based on evidence collected by rangers and according to
his own admission, R.S. is addicted to smoking "ice," a dangerous form
of methamphetamine, and was fueling his habit by breaking into cars and
stealing valuables. R.S. was taken to federal district court in
Honolulu and is facing felony charges. Through identification of R.S.'s
MO and a partial confession, rangers have been able to close all of the
earlier automobile burglaries.
Hurricane Jimena passed just south of the island of Hawaii on Sunday
and Monday. The entire coastline of the park, the backcountry, and Chain
of Craters Road were accordingly closed. The park is opearting under ICS
with around-the-clock ranger patrols and 24-hour dispatch. At the time
of the report on Sunday evening, it was expected that the headquarters
area would be struck by heavy rains and winds of up to 60
mph.
Both the park and the island of Hawaii fared well during the
hurricane's passage through the area. Heavy rains, moderate surf and
light rains were reported as the hurricane passed about 50 miles out to
sea from the park. No damage or injuries have been reported. The
hurricane's winds dropped from over 100 mph to around 85 mph upon
arrival and continued decreasing until it became a tropical storm. More
than four inches of rain fell on the park on Sunday night; heavy rains
continued on Labor Day. The park's visitor centers, concessions
operation, and Kilauea summit all returned to normal operations on
Monday. The park's campgrounds, backcountry, eruption site and Chain of
Craters Road remained closed until yesterday morning but have now
reopened as well.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 9th, the park received a
report from the Hawaii County Fire Department of a tour helicopter crash
on Mauna Loa at approximately the 8,500 foot level. The tour helicopter
was an Astar AS 350 helicopter belonging to Sunshine Helicopters flying
from the Kona side of the island. Both the park's contract helicopter
and the county fire rescue helicopter responded. The park contract
helicopter pilot, David Okita of Volcano Helicopters, and park resource
manager Ben Kawakami were flying a resource management mission at the
time of the crash. They diverted and flew to the reported crash
location, but were unable to see the site because of the cloud cover.
The pilot of the crashed helicopter was able to reach the park's
helicopter by radio and guide it to the scene. The pilot of the crashed
helicopter and all the passengers were fine and there were no injuries.
The crash was in the park's wilderness. The helicopter was upright and
intact except for the landing skids. The park's helicopter shuttled all
of the passengers and the pilot to the park's helicopter pad. The NTSB
and FAA have been notified and their investigations are
underway.
On March 7th, three juveniles visiting the park during spring break
tried to beat their parents to the top of the Kilauea Iki trail by
shortcutting across switchbacks. They evidently thought that they could
save time by heading straight up from one section of the trail to
another. Much to their dismay, they became disoriented and lost in the
extremely thick vegetation below the Rim Drive near Thurston Lava Tube.
They were able to reach their parents via cell phone, and the parents
drove around honking their horn until they located the general area
where the trio was lost. They notified a passing park firefighter, who
in turn alerted rangers. Several members of the park's SAR team
responded. Due to the number of earth cracks and vertical cliffs in the
area, a ranger was lowered to the kids' location by rope, then escorted
them out via a prusik belay — an effort that entailed negotiating
two earth cracks, one of which was very deep and risky to cross without
the safety of a belay rope. They were hauled up the last 20 feet of
vertical cliff via a technical raising system. All three were in good
shape and were reunited with their parents just an hour before
dark.
A new and active lava flow is within three-quarters of a mile from
the end of the park's Chain of Craters Road — the first lava flow
in over six months that has been readily accessible to the public. The
numbers of visitors has been increasing daily, as word has gotten around
about the flow. The park has accordingly activated one of its three Type
3 all-risk incident management teams to coordinate its response to the
challenge of managing visitors in a hazardous environment. A trail has
been flagged to the flow to make it easier for visitors to find their
way to a point where they can view the lava. If the flow continues for
the next few weeks, it's likely that the number of visitors will
increase significantly due to the end of the school year and to
nationwide news coverage of the event. The park is running two shifts of
rangers and emergency hires. These employees are scouting around the end
of the road for safe routes to viewing points, establishing trails with
reflectors, answering thousands of questions daily, giving short talks
on how to safely view the lava flow, and handling emergencies as they
arise.
The park received a cell phone call via 911 reporting an unconscious girl on the switchbacks on the backcountry Kaaha trail below the Hilina Pali Road around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 7th. Rangers and Hawaii County FD paramedics responded. The 12-year-old girl was a member of a school group that had walked down a difficult trail during the heat of the day. Many in the group were out of water and had difficulty getting back up the hill. The girl was conscious but very weak when rangers arrived. One of the paramedics started an IV and rangers shorthauled her to a waiting ambulance. She was taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment. [Submitted by Paul M. Ducasse, Chief Ranger]
On the evening of October 21st, a 19-year-old female nursing student from the University of Hawaii at Hilo went looking for a suitable place to go to the bathroom near the Kilauea Military Camp, which is inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. She jumped over a fence surrounding a clump of vegetation, then fell 30 feet into an earth crack. There are perhaps thousands of these cracks throughout the park and vegetation makes it difficult to see these deep holes. The majority of these cracks in high visitor use areas are surrounded by railings and/or marked with signs. One of the woman's nearby friends called for help. Hawaii County rescue and NPS rangers were notified and responded. One ranger rappelled down to the woman, who was standing on an old trash can on a ledge, 15 feet above the bottom. The ranger stabilized the young woman as a sked was lowered to their location. The ranger and a county medic packaged the patient before she was raised using a mechanical advantage hauling system. The woman was treated at the scene, transported to Hilo Medical Center for further evaluation, then released with only a few abrasions and a sprained ankle. [Submitted by John Broward, Acting Operations Supervisor]
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 26th, an 80-year old male visitor from Richmond, Virginia, collapsed on the trail after exiting the Thurston Lava Tube. Two park visitors, both doctors, happened by and immediately began CPR. Within minutes, three rangers arrived on scene with a portable defibrillator. The rangers applied electrodes to the unconscious man's chest and the battery-powered device delivered three powerful jolts. The man's heart responded and began to beat with a regular rhythm, and he quickly regained consciousness. He was then transported by county ambulance to Hilo Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment. This was the second time that rangers had revived a heart attack victim with an AED. In July, 2002, a 67-year old California man parked his car at the end of the Chain of Craters Road and started walking through thick volcanic fumes towards the ocean entry lava flow. He didn't make it very far before he collapsed and slumped to the ground. Rangers revived him with an AED, and he was able to return home to California after further treatment at Hilo Medical Center. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Specialist]
On the afternoon of Sunday, April 2nd, a severe thunder and lightning storm hit the volcano area of the Big Island of Hawaii. The park's main radio transmitter and the park communication center's transformer were struck by lightning, knocking out the phone and radio systems. The communication center serves as a central dispatching center for Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Haleakala NP, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau NHP, Kaloko Honokohau NHP, Pu'ukohola Heiau NHS, Kalaupapa NHP, and the USS Arizona Memorial. Although radio communication was soon re-established, the phone system remains down parkwide. The repair costs are estimated at $50,000 to repair the radio system, phone system, and computer/network infrastructure. Primary communication to the park is by email and by cell phones. The PWHO/HAVO IT staff are currently working to repair the phone and radio systems, but it is unknown when the phone system will be up and running. [Gail Minami-Judd, Acting Chief Ranger]
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake centered about a mile west-southwest of Waikoloa on the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii rocked the entire island chain just after 7 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, October 15th. Shortly thereafter, the islands were shaken by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake. These two big quakes were followed by more than 20 aftershocks, mostly in the 3.0 to 4.5 range. The first quake caused severe damage to the Kona, Kohala and Hamakua areas of the Big Island. Power was out throughout much of the state. All major airports were shut down temporarily until power was restored. All the national parks in Hawaii immediately began damage assessments. The Pacific Area Communication Center, which serves as the central dispatching center for all the Hawaii parks, remained open and functional throughout the disaster. Radio communication and the phone system remained intact. The following is a roundup of reports from affected parks: Hawaii Volcanoes NP - The quake caused no damage to roads, trails, water lines or buildings and remained open. All backcountry areas were closed as a precaution and coastal backcountry campers were advised to evacuate as soon as possible. The eruption site also remained open. FEMA has assembled a U.S. Forest Service team to document damage to federal areas. The team is scheduled to arrive on the Big Island sometime this week. [Sharon Ringsven, Park Ranger, HALE; Gail Minami-Judd, Incident Commander, HAVO; Kaiini Kaloi, Department of the Interior]
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake on the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii rocked the entire island chain on the morning of Sunday, October 15th. Between Sunday morning and late Tuesday, the islands were hit by more than 60 aftershocks, the biggest being near 4.0. The governor has issued a disaster declaration, and the state has been designated a federal disaster area. The following report summarizes the status of affected parks as of Tuesday afternoon: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (Volcano-Ka'ū, Hawai'i) - The park is open and fully operational. The Pacific Area Communications Center continues to monitor all activity related to earthquake response and maintain communications among all NPS areas in Hawaii. The main highway running through the park was shutdown on Monday night due to heavy rains, but reopened on Tuesday morning. [Talmadge Magno, Chief Ranger, Hawaii Volcanoes NP)
On September 18th, the state of Hawaii's domestic cannabis eradication/suppression program (DCE/SP) task force conducted its annual statewide marijuana eradication/suppression "super mission." The operation continued for ten consecutive days and included Pacific Area law enforcement personnel from the National Park Service. The operation included all NPS lands within the state - Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau NHP, Puukohola Heiau NHS, Kaloko-Honokohau NHP, Haleakala NP, Kalaupapa NHP and the USS Arizona Memorial. Statewide, team members eradicated 15,505 plants, seized 17 pounds of processed marijuana, $8,380 in cash and two firearms, and made ten arrests. Statistics in each of these categories have trended steadily downward over past years due to the relentless efforts of the participating agencies, which conduct bimonthly eradication operations year-round. These operations, coupled with aggressive prosecutions of cases on federal lands and heavy media coverage, have collectively become known as the "Hawaii Model" for the so-called "M7" states of the DCE/SP program - Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The result has been that most marijuana is now being found outside park boundaries and on adjacent state and private property. Without this intensive focus on park lands, marijuana growers would undoubtedly return to the seclusion and isolation of NPS areas within the state. [Scott Hinson, Special Agent in Charge]
A three-car accident near the park's Hilo entrance claimed the lives of three women and two men around 10 p.m. on Friday, November 10th. According to chief ranger Talmadge Magno, excessive speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the accident. A 2005 Porsche SUV was traveling toward Ka'u when it collided with two cars heading toward Hilo. All three people in the SUV were killed in the collision - S.F., 55, L.R., 46, and L.C., 60, all of Volcano, Hawai'i. Two visitors from British Columbia in a 2006 Chrysler convertible rental car - C.C., 32, and O.R., 33 - also died. The third vehicle was a 2004 Chevrolet two-door sedan. The driver, A.G., 31, of Kea'au, Hawai'i, remains hospitalized at Queens Medical Center. His passenger, D.F., 43, a resident of Volcano, declined medical treatment and was released at the scene. Rangers have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Anyone with information is requested to call park dispatch at 808-985-6170. Rangers are being assisted in their investigation by Hawai'i Police Department's traffic enforcement unit. [Mardie Lane, Park Ranger]
On Sunday morning, the park took a number of precautionary measures to protect visitors after an earthquake swarm shook the upper east rift of Kilauea Volcano. Most of the park is now temporarily closed, but Kilauea Visitor Center, Jaggar Museum, Volcano House Hotel, Kilauea Military Camp, and Volcano Art Center Gallery remain open. Beginning at about 2:15 a.m., the earthquake swarm shook the upper east rift of Kilauea Volcano. About 70 shallow earthquakes occurred at an estimated depth of from one to two miles, centered about one mile southwest of Mauna Ulu. As of 4:30 a.m., ten of the quakes had magnitudes greater than three and were felt by nearby residents. Earthquake activity continues. Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are monitoring the situation closely. Rangers have mobilized to provide for visitor safety and information. To see information on recent earthquakes in Hawai'i, go the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's website at HYPERLINK "http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/". [Mardie Lane, Park Ranger]
The most recent eruption of Kilauea — officially referred to as Episode 56 in this decades-long eruptive cycle — continues. On Tuesday, June 19th, a small outbreak of lava oozed from a new fissure on the upper east rift of Kilauea. By Wednesday, the flow was reportedly stagnant and cooling. The threat of a lava-ignited wildfire from this lava breakout continues, however. Fire is smoldering and creeping in layers of decomposed ground vegetation in at least three areas near the recent lava flow. On Wednesday, firefighters from Hawaii Volcanoes and Whiskeytown worked to suppress the fires, employing a helicopter with a 100-gallon capacity bucket to drop water on the hotspots. Suppression efforts were begun in order to protect the surrounding rainforest of native plants and animals in the park's 2,700-acre East Rift Special Ecological Area. In anticipation of the need for a water source, firefighters set up five portable ponds with a capacity of 15,500 gallons of water at the Mauna Ulu parking lot, about four miles west of the new lava outbreak. Meanwhile, the eruption at Pu`u `O`o remains in a pause; no lava is flowing on the surface or into the sea. Here's a status report on park facilities, as of mid-week:
Additional information on the eruption and on the park can be found at a number of web sites, including the following: Incident status reports — http://www.inciweb.org//incident/732/,
www.nps.gov/havo, or
http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php The park has also issued a health advisory for visitors. Sulfur dioxide is always emitted from the summit of Kilauea and is a gas that can affect the respiratory system of susceptible visitors, including infants, young children, the elderly, and those with asthma and other pre-existing heart and lung disease. When driving along Crater Rim Drive near the Southwest Rift and Halema'uma'u Crater, visitors are being advised to stop only at designated pullouts, keep their windows closed, and set their air-conditioning on recirculation. [Submitted by Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
As of 2 p.m. Monday (local time), the center of Hurricane Flossie, a Category Three hurricane, was located about 350 southeast of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, moving west-northwest at about 15 mph. Due to the potential severe weather hazard posed by Flossie, the park implemented the following: All backcountry trails, campsites, and cabins are closed Mauna Loa Road and Hilina Pali Road are closed Chain of Craters Road is closed at Kealakomo Overlook Namakanipaio and Kulanaokuaiki campgrounds are closed Kipukapuaulu Trail and Picnic Area are closed All ranger-led hikes have been cancelled. Flossie packs sustained winds near 125 mph, with gusts of over 160 mph. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours. Hurricane force winds extend 40 miles outward from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch, flash flood watch, and a tropical storm warning for the island of Hawai'i. The main effects from Hurricane Flossie are expected to hit the island Tuesday, with tropical storm force winds of 40 to 50 mph with higher gusts. Any shift in the hurricane's track towards the north will result in higher wind speeds. Thunderstorms could produce 10 inches or more of rainfall through Tuesday night and 15 to 20 foot surf is forecast for the island's southeast shore. "This is no time for complacency," said acting chief ranger Gail Minami-Judd. "We expect strong winds, heavy rain, and high surf and we're taking steps now to ensure that our visitors and employees stay safe. If weather conditions intensify, visitors should anticipate more road and facility closures." For updates on Hurricane Flossie, go to HYPERLINK "http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/". [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
Due to the potential severe weather hazard posed by Hurricane, Flossie most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park closed at 10:00 a.m. yesterday morning. The following remain open: Three miles of Crater Rim Drive from Kilauea Visitor Center to Jaggar Museum Volcano House Hotel Kilauea Military Camp As of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning (local time), the center of Hurricane Flossie, a Category Two hurricane, was located about 190 miles southeast of the park, moving west-northwest at about 11 mph. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for the island of Hawai'i. Flossie packs sustained winds near 110 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. The main effects from the hurricane were expected by mid-morning on Tuesday as Flossie passed south of the island. Tropical storm force winds of 40 to 50 mph with higher gusts were expected. The park was also looking at the prospect of Flossie dropping 10 inches or more of rainfall in the island's Ka'u District through Tuesday night. Twenty to twenty-five foot surf was forecast for the island's south facing shores. Park employees not essential to emergency operations were released from work yesterday morning. Three national parks on the west side of the island - Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, Kaloko-Honokohau, and Pu'ukohola Heiau - also closed yesterday. For updates on Hurricane Flossie, go to HYPERLINK "http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/" http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
A magnitude-5.4 earthquake located beneath the south flank of Kilauea Volcano rocked the park on the evening of Monday, August 13th. The quake occurred as park staff were gearing up for the arrival of Hurricane Flossie. The quake was located about 25 miles south of Hilo at a depth of six miles and was felt throughout the island. Several aftershocks were recorded, with the largest having a preliminary magnitude of 3.2. The largest previous earthquake on the south flank was a magnitude 5.0 that occurred on August 27, 2003. Eleven earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.0 have occurred in this part of the island since 1975, when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Kalapana. Although the quake gave park and area residents a serious shaking, no significant damage was reported. For eruption updates and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai'i, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov". [Mardi Lane, Public Affairs Specialist]
All coastal backcountry trails and campsites were closed yesterday afternoon due to the threat of a tsunami issuing from the magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Peru. All visitors were also evacuated from Chain of Craters Road and the road was closed at Kealakomo Overlook. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami advisory for the state of Hawai'i following the quake, as a tsunami signal on the deep ocean gauge off northern Chile indicated that a tsunami had been generated. The advisory was lifted later in the afternoon and all areas were reopened. [Mardi Lane, Public Affairs Specialist]
All park facilities, roads, and trails reopened yesterday except for the Na'ulu Trail and Napau Trail east of Pu'u Huluhlulu and Hilina Pali Road at the Mauna Iki Trailhead. The threat of severe weather - wind, rain, and surf - prompted the park's closure late Tuesday afternoon and the release of those employees not essential to emergency operations. Hurricane Flossie loomed 150 miles southeast of the island of Hawai'i, moving west-northwest at about 8 mph. Flossie packed sustained winds near 100 mph. High winds and thunderstorms were expected as Flossie passed south of the island, and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued both a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning. In response, Hawai'i Volcanoes put ICS into effect. Rangers swept and closed roads, trails, and campgrounds; maintenance crews taped plate glass windows and secured items easily airborne; and interpreters posted signs informing visitors of the impending hazards. At 5 a.m. yesterday morning, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center cancelled the tropical storm warning for the island of Hawai'i. The park suffered no apparent weather damage. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
On November 10, 2006, a three-car accident near the park's Hilo entrance claimed the lives of three women and two men. A 2005 Porsche SUV was traveling toward Ka'u when it collided with two cars heading toward Hilo. All three people in the SUV were killed in the collision; two visitors from British Columbia in a convertible rental car also died, and one of the two people in the third vehicle had to be hospitalized. A recently released investigation report revealed that Samuel Furtado, the driver of the SUV, had a blood alcohol level far in excess of the legal limit. Toxicology findings show that Furtado's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of the accident was 0.27, more than three times the legal limit of .08. The drivers of the other two vehicles tested negative for blood alcohol. [Mardie Lane, Park Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2979"
A strong storm passing to the north of the Hawaiian Islands yesterday brought gale force winds, high surf and flash floods. Winds were clocked at from 40 to 80 mph (with higher gusts) and waves reached heights of 18 to 22 feet on north shores. Parks throughout the islands reported associated problems. Here's how they stood as of yesterday morning (local time): Hawaii Volcanoes - The park still had power, but was being buffeted by heavy rains and winds ranging from about 35 mph at 4,000 feet and over 65 mph at the summit. Park management was considering a closure if conditions worsened. [Karen Newton, with reports from Hawaiian parks]
A strong storm passing to the north of the Hawaiian Islands this week brought gale force winds, high surf and heavy rain to parks throughout the islands. A current status report follows: Hawaii Volcanoes - Winds subsided yesterday at mid and lower elevations, but heavy rain continued to fall. Blizzard conditions were reported at upper elevations. Some roads are blocked with trees. The backcountry will be reopened soon. [Sharon Ringsven, HALE, and Karen Newton, PWRO, with reports from Hawaiian parks]
Parks throughout the Hawaiian Islands have provided current reports on their status following last week's severe storm: Hawaii Volcanoes - Operations have returned to normal. All closures were lifted on Friday. [Teri Murphy, Manager, Pacific Area Communications Center]
The already high sulfur dioxide levels in the park have doubled since a new gas vent opened in Halemaumau Crater on Kilauea's summit on Thursday, March 13th. The park has been in ICS for about three weeks to manage this developing incident, but yesterday requested a Type II team to prepare for the next level of activity. Park staff have been heavily involved with assisting the county in dealing with eruptive activity outside the park in the Kalapana area, including visitor safety, traffic control, public health and EMS. The incident commander has been working closely with Hawaii County Civil Defense, and plans are now in the works to evacuate the park, including all employees and residents. Because of the prevailing and expected winds, the county is also preparing for an evacuation of the community of Volcano, just outside the park, due to high sulfur dioxide levels. Since March 13th, total emissions from the vent have risen from already high levels of 600 tons per day to between 1800 and 2000 tons per day. Sulfur dioxide levels in the park have been measured at 40 ppm. [Karen Newton, PWRO] HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/pressreleases/pr03_14_08.html"
The park has experienced high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) at the summit of Kilauea Volcano since early January. As a result, park officials have developed contingency plans for potential evacuation and have ordered a Type II incident management team to help with preparations. Neither the park nor the surrounding communities are currently being evacuated. [Jim Gale]
The park continues to deal with the President's Day Incident - the previously reported rapid increase in sulfur dioxide emissions from a new vent on the volcano, plus a small explosive eruption that occurred on Wednesday. In the latter event, rock debris from a small explosive eruption inside Halemaumau damaged the crater's fenced overlook, and rocks fell on Crater Rim Drive and trail and Halemaumau trail. The area impacted by this explosion has been closed since February 20th due the elevated SO2 levels. Management of the incident is transitioning to the Western Incident Management Team, lead by incident commander Denny Ziemann. Team members heard employee concerns and were introduced to park staff at an all employees meeting yesterday, their first full day in the park. The team attended a briefing by USGS scientists from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory on the increased sulfur dioxide emissions and the explosive eruption. Discussions on the transition process were also begun. The transition to the team is planned for today. [Mardie Lane, PAO, Hawaii Volcanoes NP; Patti Wold, IO, Western IMT) HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/pressreleases/pr03_19_08.html"
The Western IMT is in the process of preparing short and long term contingency plans for a variety of scenarios, including elevated sulfur dioxide levels, explosive events, and lava eruptions. The main concern at this time is that sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates from the summit of Kilauea volcano continue to be elevated at about 1,200 tons/day, compared to a normal background rate of between 150 and 200 tons/day. Once the gas is released into the air, the danger it poses to human health is directly related to its concentration. Higher concentrations are found downwind of the source, so changes in wind direction and speed can bring gases at hazardous concentrations into different areas. Trade (northeasterly) winds keep gas emissions in the south caldera, an area of the park currently closed to the public. When the winds shift or die down, SO2 concentrations can rise in areas still open to visitation. (See the plume venting from the wall of Halema'uma'u crater at HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cam3/"). There have been no new explosive eruptions since the explosion that occurred Wednesday morning, March 19th, in Halema'uma'u crater. That explosion scattered rock debris over an area of about 75 acres, covering a portion of Crater Rim Drive and trail and damaging the overlook at Halema'uma'u. No lava was erupted as part of the explosion. Today, the park will team with the Hawai'i National Guard and Hawai'i County Fire Department to carry out a joint helicopter flight operation. Throughout the day, a Hawai'i County helicopter will fly over the volcano to measure sulfur dioxide levels venting from the summit of Kilauea. The data obtained will be used to develop maps that depict various scenarios of sulfur dioxide concentrations relative to wind direction and speed. On Wednesday, the park will host a media briefing to provide an update on the elevated SO2 levels, the park's monitoring and communication efforts, and the impacts of elevated SO2 levels on park operations and staff and visitor health and safety. Those invited to participate in the presentation include USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists, park and IMT staff, the mayor of the county of Hawai'i, and Department of Health Representatives from the state of Hawai'i. [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
There is now a continuous emission of ash from the new gas vent in Halema`uma`u Crater, turning the formerly white cloud of fume a dusty-brown color. The top of the ash plume, which is currently being blown to the southwest of the crater, reaches from a half mile to one mile above ground level. On Sunday night, small incandescent particles were observed erupting from the vent below the Halema`uma`u Overlook. A few particles were ejected with sufficient velocity to be deposited on the rim of Halema'uma'u Crater. On Monday morning, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists reported finding Pele's hair (thin strands of volcanic glass drawn out from molten lava named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes), Pele's tears (small bits of molten lava that cools quickly and solidifies into glass shaped spheres or tear drops), and spatter (clumps of molten lava) in the overlook area, indicating that particles ejected overnight included molten lava - the first erupted from the new vent, which is now 30 to 35 meters (100 feet) wide. The largest fragments of spatter, or blobs of molten rock, found on the crater rim are 10 centimeters (four inches) in size. The amount of lava erupted from the vent was small, but it represents the first lava erupted from anywhere in Halema`uma`u since 1982. Previous eruptions included lava flowing into the crater from fissure eruptions on its southwest rim in 1974 and 1971 and an eight month eruption in Halema'uma'u in 1967 and 1968 that created a lake of lava that covered the entire crater floor. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor the activity. View the plume on the Halema'uma'u webcam on USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cam3/".The park and the Western IMT continue contingency planning. More information is available on Inciweb at HYPERLINK "http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1171/". [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
On Wednesday, March 26th, more than a dozen media representatives gathered at the summit of Kilauea volcano for a briefing by scientists, park and health officials and the mayor of Hawai'i County. The backdrop was an ever-changing plume of volcanic ash and toxic gas that billowed and drifted on the wind. Presentations focused on the hazards of sustained elevated sulfur dioxide levels and fallout from Halema'uma'u crater; public health and safety; park operations, including visitor use and access; monitoring and dissemination of information; and other issues of public concern. At the park's request, FAA closed airspace over the crater within a three nautical mile radius at and below 4,000 feet above ground level due to the ash hazard. On Thursday, the park's Type III incident management team resumed command of the eruption incident from the Western incident management team. While assigned to the incident, the Western IMT revised and expanded the park's eruption operational plans to provide for short and long-term atmospheric (sulfur dioxide gas) evacuations in addition to the more historical lava viewing eruptions. The plan provides a comprehensive tool kit to respond to a multitude of volcanic incidents. Halema'uma'u crater's ash eruption was temporarily interrupted yesterday morning, resulting in a predominantly white steam and gas plume with venting sounds audible at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, nearly two miles upwind. Overnight, cameras recorded persistent incandescence reflected at the base of the plume ( HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cam3/"). Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the volcano's summit continued to be elevated at about 1,500 tons/day compared to a normal background rate of between 150 and 200 tons/day. Trade winds helped sulfur dioxide concentrations remain below levels of concern in park areas that remain open to the public. In the closed areas, SO2 concentrations were up to 40 ppm downwind of Halema`uma`u crater and 140 ppm near the overlook on the crater's rim. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
The park is currently supporting the Hawaii County Fire Department and the Hawai'i National Guard Civil Support Team in conducting sulfur dioxide and particulate monitoring of the Halema'amu'a plume. The information that is being gathered by the county will be used by the National Park Service to validate the park's recently revised volcanic contingency response strategy. Concentrations of sulfur dioxide and particulates in the plume issuing from the vent are being monitored regularly. Hazard assessments will model potential risks as the plume is influenced by changing weather patterns and will be used by the park and county to ensure public safety. The park has developed a volcanic events communication strategy which will support dissemination of information for visitor and employee safety. The county began issuing public service announcements and will update its response plan based on the final assessment of the monitoring data. Current levels of sulfur dioxide and particulates affecting local areas and communities are very low. Affected areas of the park remain closed to public access. A hazard assessment on the sulfur dioxide levels issuing from the Pu'u'O'o's plume was also made to determine its affects on local communities. Go to the USGS website at HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/" to view the plumes and to obtain eruption reports. More information is also available on the park's website at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo". [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
Based on weather forecasts and current plume models, sulfur dioxide levels have reached the designated closure threshold in areas of the park. Superintendent Cindy Orlando has therefore ordered the closure of the park until further notice. All park partners were asked to curtail operations and leave the park until further notice. This included all employees and lodging guests. Although there was no immediate threat to the safety of people in the area, all were asked to move expeditiously. NPS emergency responders were remaining on duty, but were to leave the park if the situation became elevated. [Holly Bundock, PAO, Pacific West Region]
East to northeast winds have returned to the area, shifting the sulfur dioxide filled plume away from developed and visitor areas and causing gas levels to drop. The park accordingly reopened at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning. Park programs and activities have returned to normal operations, including the Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp. [Michael Larson]
Sulfur dioxide levels have for the second time this month reached the designated closure threshold in the summit area of the park. The superintendent has therefore ordered the closure of the park until further notice. "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of visitors and employees," said incident commander Joe Molhoek. "We're in close contact with the National Weather Service and look forward to favorable winds by week's end." Park operations have been curtailed and park rangers have closed the park, including Kilauea Military Camp and Volcano House Hotel. There is no immediate threat to anyone's safety. NPS emergency responders will remain on duty until further notice. The park will reopen when favorable winds return and sulfur dioxide levels diminish. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
The park, which was closed late on Wednesday morning due to elevated levels of sulfur dioxide gas, remained closed yesterday. Stagnant weather prevailed again on Thursday, making it unwise and unhealthy for visitors to be on the summit overlook or on park trails. The park is situated on two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The toxic, invisible gas of concern is being emitted from Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kilauea and from Pu'u 'O'o on the volcano's east rift. This year, SO2 emissions from Halema'uma'u have been as high as ten times above normal levels. "We're in a new layer of complexity," said superintendent Cindy Orlando. "Fortunately, the park has a cadre of rangers adept at opening and closing areas in the wake of critical health and safety concerns." A handful of NPS emergency responders remain on duty. They are equipped with real-time personal SO2 monitors. The park will reopen when favorable weather returns and the threat of unhealthy sulfur dioxide levels diminish. Residents and visitors continue to visit the lava viewing site at the end of Highway 130 near Kalapana, operated by the County of Hawai'i. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
Trade winds returned to the area on Friday morning, blowing the sulfur dioxide filled plume away from developed and visitor areas. Due to diminished gas levels, it was therefore possible to reopen the park. The park resumed normal operations at 1 p.m. that afternoon. It had been closed since last Thursday. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
Park rangers received word from Hawai'i Fire Department officials late on Saturday that wreckage of a glider missing since Friday had likely been spotted at the 9,800 foot elevation on Mauna Loa, about three miles south of Red Hill Cabin. At first light the next morning, rangers flew to the site in a contract helicopter and confirmed the wreckage was that of the missing glider. They also found a body nearby. Located in park wilderness, the wreckage was strewn over a barren 'a'a lava flow. The victim's remains were taken to Hilo Medical Center. Positive identification has not yet been made; an autopsy is pending. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
Additional details have been provided on the fatal glider crash that occurred on Mauna Loa last Friday. D.B., 69, a former Air Force fighter pilot who flew in Vietnam and commercial pilot with Continental and Aloha Airlines, was towed in his glider from the Waimea Airport to the Island of Hawaii on January 16th for an attempt to set a record by soaring to 40,000 feet. D.B.'s last communication was just after 1 p.m., at which time he said that he was at 28,000 feet over Mauna Kea and was heading toward 13,677-foot Mauna Loa. The glider was reported overdue later that afternoon. Coast Guard, Hawaii Fire Department, Civil Air Patrol and volunteer aircraft joined in the search on January 17th. Debris was spotted that afternoon, but weather conditions precluded a landing at the site. On January 18th, rangers were flown to the main debris site, found D.B.'s body, and began an accident investigation. Additional debris was spotted within the park and residents of Volcano Village have turned in pieces of the glider found in their yards. The investigation resumed at the site yesterday. Pieces of the glider were moved to the CAP hanger in Hilo for assembly and investigation by the NTSB and FAA. [Talmadge Magno, Chief Ranger]
Parks in the Hawaiian Islands are preparing for the impacts of Tropical Storm Felicia. As of yesterday afternoon, Felicia's center was located about 235 miles east-northeast of Hawai'i Island. The storm continues to move westward toward Hawaii at 12 mph. On this track, the center of Felicia is expected to reach the islands sometime today. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the islands of Maui (site of Haleakala National Park), Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, Moloka'i (site of Kalaupapa National Historical Park), and O'ahu (site of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument). Felicia packs maximum sustained winds near 45 mph with higher gusts. A large ocean swell generated by Felicia is already affecting coastlines across the state. Two reports have been received on preparations: Hawaii Volcanoes NP - Due to the potential severe weather hazard posed by tropical storm Felicia, Hawai'i Volcanoes closed all backcountry trails and campsites on Sunday. As a precaution, a dozen volunteers were also pulled from four beaches where they spend their days and nights monitoring the nesting of endangered Hawksbill turtles. Regardless of the intensity of Felicia when it reaches the Hawaiian Islands, locally heavy rainfall is still expected to occur and flash flooding remains a possibility. [Mardie Lane, HAVO, and Naaman Horn, HALE]
The tropical storm watch issued for all Hawaiian Islands was discontinued on Tuesday as Felicia's winds diminished and it passed through the area with few impacts. All backcountry trails and campsites within Hawai'i Volcanoes - closed Sunday due to the storm threat - reopened late on Tuesday morning. Volunteers returned to coastal beaches to resume round-the-clock monitoring of nesting endangered Hawksbill turtles. The surf was the only thing that developed on Hawai'i Island, but not at the predicted heights and no damage was sustained. Felicia was a good "drill" for the park and its employees, a reminder that hurricane season in Hawai'i continues through November 30th. The National Weather Service is tracking several more systems in the eastern Pacific that may turn into tropical cyclones. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer, and Talmadge Magno, Chief Ranger]
High winds with gusts over 50 mph have caused the park to close several areas in order to protect visitors from falling tree debris and other hazards. Rangers have closed the following until further notice: Mauna Loa Road is closed. Mauna Loa Trail, Red Hill Cabin, and Mauna Loa Summit Cabin are closed. No backcountry permits are being issued for those sites. Namakanipaio Campground is closed. "We continue to assess real and potential hazards caused by this wind storm and to do what's necessary to protect people and park resources," said chief ranger Talmadge Magno. "High fire danger also exists in these areas and the closure will help reduce the risk of wildfires." It's expected that the closures will remain in place through the weekend. [Mardi Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
On April 8th, a grand jury in Honolulu indicted A.V., 23, and M.W., 20, on three felony charges stemming from a marijuana cultivation case within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Arrest warrants were subsequently issued, and on April 11th both were arrested in Hilo by NPS rangers and special agents. The two Pahoa men will be arraigned in United States District Court in Honolulu, charged with conspiring to cultivate/distribute marijuana, possessing/cultivating marijuana, and intent to distribute marijuana. The case stems from an incident in December, 2009, when rangers apprehended the two as they attempted to plant 47 marijuana plants in the forest along the Mauna Loa Road. The men were released, but an investigation into the incident continued and the case was later presented to the United States Attorney's Office, leading to their indictment and arrest. The Mauna Loa Road is frequently used by local residents and island visitors. The area where rangers apprehended A.V. and M.W. is designated by the park as a special ecological area and is managed to protect and restore Hawaii's native plants and animals. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
On April 12th, A.L., 31, was sentenced in United States District Court to nine months in federal prison and three years supervised release and ordered to pay $632 in restitution to the victims of his crime. A.L., of no permanent address, was convicted of felony unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle with intent to commit a crime for breaking into a visitor's rental car on January 1, 2008 at the popular Kilauea Iki Overlook parking lot. Skilled and determined investigation by park rangers and a special agent led to A.L.'s arrest and conviction. "Our park rangers and special agent were unwavering in the investigative efforts that led to the successful prosecution of this case," said Superintendent Cindy Orlando. "A purpose of the park is to provide for enjoyment of this wondrous resource by residents and visitors. We have zero tolerance for those who victimize others." [Mardie Lane, Park Ranger]
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists flying over Kilauea on Saturday afternoon saw a new lava outbreak in a remote area on the volcano's east rift. The park accordingly closed Chain of Craters Road, all east rift zone and coastal trails, and the campground at Kulanaokuaiki until further notice. ICS was put into effect (Gail Minami, IC), operating out of the park's HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id= 10148" new Visitor Emergency Operations Center. For further information, click on these links: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php" eruption updates Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/" volcano webcams Hawaii Volcanoes NP HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm" closure information [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
The eruption that began last Saturday continues on the east rift of Kilauea Volcano. Lava spatters sporadically to heights of 80 feet from a series of fissures that extend more than a mile between Napau Crater and Pu'u 'O'o. Around the vents, the ground trembles and molten rock puddles. In response to the change in volcanic conditions, nearly 30 park personnel have rallied to support this major incident, meeting and planning for the first time in the park's new Visitor Emergency Operations Center. Rangers remain vigilant. Seismicity is ongoing, the volcano's summit continues to deflate, and magma migrates underground beneath roads, trails, and campsites. Most of the park remains open, but temporary closures help ensure that hikers and cars don't get trapped on the 'wrong side' of an outbreak. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists have seized this opportunity to collect lava samples, map a changing landscape, and measure surface deformation. Instruments record sulfur dioxide gas emissions - a breathtaking 7,000 tons a day. Firefighters gauge the threat of lava-ignited wildfires. Nearly 200 acres have been burned and buried. Fortunately for now, drenching rains offer a reprieve from potential flare-ups in native rain forest. Public and media interest has been keen and visitation is up. Because the eruption is remote and inaccessible, rangers post the latest information, photos, and videos at Kilauea Visitor Center and Jaggar Museum. A HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/NCcam/" webcam view is also available online. It's a phenomenal time, and for some, déjà vu. The volcanic event is located where it all began 28 years ago. On January 3, 1983, Kilauea's ongoing east rift eruption opened in this very spot. For further information, click on these links: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php" eruption updates Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/" volcano webcams Hawaii Volcanoes NP HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm" closure information [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
The eruption on Kilauea, now being referred to as the Kamoamoa Eruption, is continuing with considerable intensity, with lava spatters to heights of 200 feet. Fissures are feeding a lava flow that extends nearly two miles from its source; near the fissure, the flow is hot, ropy pahoehoe, but at its terminus, the flow turns to a clinkery jumble of 'a'a (click on HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava" this link for Wikipedia descriptions of these two kinds of flows and other volcanic phenomena). The flow volume is calculated at 2.5 million cubic meters per day, five times more than Kilauea has been putting out from the east rift during the past several years. Lava flows have covered 162 acres of park land. East rift zone sulfur dioxide gas emissions are at 10,000 tonnes per day, significantly elevated above the 300 tonnes per day measured during the past several months and as recently as March 5th, prior to the fissure eruption. Lava-ignited wildfires have burned 78 acres of rain forest. The forest downwind of the fissures is choked by volcanic fumes; dieback of some ferns, shrubs, and trees is certain. Meanwhile, the park continues to enforce closures and operate under ICS (Gail Minami-Judd, IC). [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
The Kamoamoa fissure eruption decreased in activity through Wednesday afternoon and paused late that evening. At the summit, the lava lake remained deep below the rim of the vent inset within the east wall of Halema`uma`u Crater. East rift zone seismicity, summit seismicity, and sulfur dioxide emissions decreased, but all remained elevated. The park plans to open the upper four miles of Chain of Craters Road today. The road will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily as conditions allow. Permitted backcountry hikers may access coastal trails from the Ka`u Desert trailhead. The Hilina Pali Road and Kulanaokuaiki Campground will remain closed. For further information, click on these links: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php" eruption updates Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/" volcano webcams Hawaii Volcanoes NP HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm" closure information For a related newspaper article, click on the link below. [USGS, Hawaii Volcanoes NP] HYPERLINK "http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/Lava_fountaining_pauses_at_Kamoamoa_fissure.html"
The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday - the fifth largest quake in the world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 times stronger than the one that recently devastated Christchurch, New Zealand - produced a tsunami that crossed the open and came up on the shores of park beaches from Guam to the West Coast. No visitor or employee injuries have been reported. The following summarizes reports submitted from all affected areas: Hawaii Volcanoes - No known injuries or damage. [Dean Ross, Deputy Chief of Emergency Services, WASO; Karen Gatewood, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, PWRO; Steve Chaney, Superintendent, REDW; Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger, GOGA; John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO]
A six mile section of Chain of Craters Road, closed due to the recent eruption on Kilauea, has reopened, as trade winds have helped reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Scientists are continuing to closely monitor the eruption. For further information, click on these links: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php" eruption updates Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/" volcano webcams Hawaii Volcanoes NP HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm" closure information [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
A 20-year-old Hilo man pled guilty to negligent homicide in U.S. District Court on June 14th. The charge stemmed from an incident in which he caused a crash in the park that killed his passenger. J.Q. pled guilty as part of a plea agreement with the prosecutor that calls for a 24-month prison term. If the judge imposes a higher sentence in September, J.Q. will be free to withdraw his guilty plea. The maximum prison term for first-degree negligent homicide is ten years. The case was investigated by the National Park Service with assistance from the Hawaii Police Department and FBI and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii. J.Q. was the driver of a pickup truck on Highway 11 on June 12, 2011 when the truck left the roadway and crashed into a lava field. J.Q. and his passenger, 20-year-old B.A., also of Hilo, were thrown from the truck. B.A. was pronounced dead at Hilo Medical Center. Blood taken from J.Q. at the hospital showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.13. [Investigative Services Branch]
On January 12th, a resident of Hilo was found dead in his vehicle alongside Highway 11 in the park. A ranger found the body of the 43-year-old man in his truck. A death investigation is underway. The park has asked that anyone who noticed anything suspicious with the truck from the evening of January 11th to the morning of January 12th call park dispatch. [Gail Minami-Judd]
On Tuesday, rangers rescued a 73-year-old man who had been stranded overnight after climbing over a barrier and falling 115 feet down a sheer cliff behind Volcano House. Late that afternoon, a hiker told park rangers at Kilauea Visitor Center that she'd heard someone crying for help from the dense vegetation along Halema'uma'u Trail, which lies directly below the hotel. Although she thought it was a prank, she reported the cries anyway. Rangers were able to locate the man and arrange a rescue. Park SAR coordinator John Broward was lowered by helicopter and pulled him to safety as the sun began to set. The man spoke little English, but told rescuers that he had fallen on Monday. The exact time is unknown. He was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center with injuries to his pelvis and shoulder. He also had numerous scrapes and suffered from dehydration. [Jessica Ferricane, Public Affairs Officer]
On the morning of Thursday, January 30th, rangers rescued a lone hiker who became stranded on Mauna Loa after a winter storm brought heavy snow and high winds to both the summit and lower elevations. A.S., 36, visiting from New York, began a grueling 18-mile trek from the top of Mauna Loa Road at 6,662 feet towards the summit of Mauna Loa on Sunday, January 28th. He reached the 13,677-foot summit on Tuesday after dropping off his heavy gear at a lower elevation. The snowstorm struck on his late-afternoon descent, creating blinding whiteout conditions, and night soon fell. A.S. made a few futile attempts to locate his pack and then decided to hunker down in the snow until daylight. His only protection consisted of the clothes he had on; supplies were limited to a bottle of frozen water. Earlier on Tuesday, park management closed the mountain to visitors because of the dangerous weather. A.S. was the only registered hiker. Rangers tried unsuccessfully to call his cell phone; they then drove up Mauna Loa Road and confirmed his car was there. Ranger John Broward decided to launch a helicopter search for him when the car was found to still be there on Wednesday afternoon. A.S. was located by 9 a.m. "I've done many crazy hikes, but this one pretty much tops the bill," said A.S., an experienced hiker who successfully summited Mauna Loa last winter. After locating his pack Wednesday morning, the deep snow made it impossible to gain much ground, and he spent a second frozen night on the mountain. A.S. worried that he'd die on Mauna Loa, and was astonished when he heard the helicopter. "Even the most experienced and prepared hikers can get into trouble in the park," said Broward, who serves as the park's search and rescue coordinator. "What saved Alex is that he had a backcountry permit so we knew he was up there, he is extremely fit, and he stayed calm. We're all fortunate this had a happy ending." On Thursday afternoon, his face sunburned and wind-whipped, A.S. applied for another backcountry permit, for the park's remote coastal area. "This time I'm going to the sunny part of the park," he said. [Jessica Ferracane, Public Affairs Officer]
A lava flow emerging from Kilauea Volcano's Pu 'u 'Ō 'ō vent, located 11 miles northeast of the park, is slowly advancing towards the town of Pāhoa and threatens to cover the community's two main access routes. To sustain access in and out of Pāhoa, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is working in cooperation with the State of Hawaii, Hawaii County, and the Federal Highways Administration to construct an emergency access route between Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Kalapana along the park's historic Chain of Craters Kalapana Road. Opened in 1965, Chain of Craters Kalapana Road is located in an active lava flow area. Since its construction, the road has been covered by three separate flow events, causing the road to be closed for 37 of its 49 year existence. The most recent lava flow event began in 1989 and covered a 5.5-mile stretch of the road. Lava continued to flow across the road through 2013, covering the road to a depth of up to 150 feet. In September of 2014, the trajectory of a lava flow from the Pu 'u 'Ō 'ō vent shifted to the northeast for the first time in 30 years and towards the town of Pāhoa. Working in conjunction with Pacific West Regional Office and the Service's Environmental Quality Division, the park completed emergency compliance in accordance with DOI procedures for emergency actions to construct an evacuation route for the lower Puna area. On October 24th, crews began rough grading a route along the road's historic alignment. To expedite completion of the road within the next 30 to 45 days, crews are working from both sides of the closed area at Hōlei Sea Arch and Kalapana. Impacted residents will be able to access this route only after lava has blocked the existing access routes and the Chain of Craters Kalapana Road is safe for vehicle travel. The road will remain open to local residents and for uses to sustain the community until another long term viable route is established by the state or county. Once the road is no longer needed as an emergency access route, it will be converted into a hiking trail. For more information, including photos, maps and web cam images, click on the link below. HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm" [Rainey McKenna]
On February 5th, a 71-year-old Japanese national with a tour group was hiking the Thurston Lava Tube. Soon after walking up the steepest section, he began to experience shortness of breath and felt fatigued. Shortly after sitting to rest on the ground near the entrance to the lava tube, he collapsed, lost consciousness and stopped breathing. Several nurses who were also visiting at that time and a tour operator began CPR until rangers arrived with an AED and took over care. Rangers went through three cycles of CPR and AED analysis with "No Shock Advised" (because his heart was not in a rhythm that the machine could recognize). After the three cycles, Hawaii Country Medic 19 arrived and assumed care. After county medics completed their protocols, a doctor at the Hilo Medical Center ER pronounced the man dead through on-line medical control. [John Broward, Acting Chief Ranger]
An 11-year-old boy from Canada who took a shortcut off Kīlauea Iki Trail was located by park rangers and reunited with his family on the night of Tuesday, March 17th. The boy left the trail on the crater floor and attempted to shortcut his way up to the parking lot at Thurston Lava Tube, but got lost. When his parents reached the parking lot and found he wasn't there, the father went back down the trail. He was able to make voice contact with his son, but couldn't locate him. Another visitor also heard the boy yelling for help near Crater Rim Trail between the Thurston Lava Tube and Kīlauea Iki parking lots. The visitor found the boy's mother at the Thurston Lava Tube parking lot and called park dispatch to report the missing child. Five search-and-rescue rangers responded shortly after sunset. The boy was located off trail about an hour afterwards, with only minor cuts and scrapes. It took another hour for rangers to hike him back out to the trail. He was reunited with his family members, who expressed their gratitude to the rangers. [John Broward, Acting Chief Ranger]
Both restaurants in the Volcano House have been closed since Tuesday while officials investigate the cause of a kitchen fire that sent a hotel employee to the hospital that morning. Both The Rim restaurant and Uncle George's Lounge were closed so that National Park Service inspectors could determine the cause of the small blaze. Both restaurants should reopen today. The Volcano House hotel remained open after the fire. Park rangers, Hawai'i County medics and firefighters responded quickly to the fire alarm and calls to park dispatch around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. A 42-year-old hotel employee suffered burns to his upper arms and was transported by county medics to the hospital. [Jessica Ferracane, Public Affairs Specialist]
On Saturday, July 8th, two visitors discovered a backpack on Crater Rim Trail at approximately 7 p.m. and notified park dispatch. Rangers searched the caldera rim and floor on foot, but were unable to locate its owner. The search was suspended due to unsafe conditions at night and resumed the next morning. Rangers aboard a helicopter soon found the victim about 250 feet below the caldera rim in an area that is not currently erupting. The body has been identified as that of a 38-year-old California man. A note was found in his backpack, but details concerning the note and circumstances of the death will not be publicly revealed until the National Park Service has concluded its investigation and a pathologist has ruled on the cause of death. Source: News release, Hawaii Volcanoes NP.
Park rangers recovered the body of a 63-year-old Kea'au woman from Kīlauea caldera below Steaming Bluff on the morning of October 29thth. At approximately 10 a.m. that morning, the park received a report that the woman had been missing since Friday. Family traced her phone to the park and rangers located her vehicle at the Steam Vents parking area. They then began a search for her by ground and air. At around 11:30 a.m., the woman's body was located by personnel aboard a County of Hawai'i helicopter about 250 feet below the caldera rim and was removed. The woman apparently died in a fall from the crater edge beyond Crater Rim Trail. The area where she fell is not currently erupting. It appeared that she left the trail and went around several barriers to reach the edge. Source: News release, Hawaii Volcanoes NP.
The eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began on May 3rd continues with undiminished vigor. Since this story is being fully covered by all media, this summary covers only the most recent Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) update available (issued Monday) and the park's status. Useful links are also included. As of Monday morning, volcanic activity was being dominated by lava fountaining, explosion of spatter more than 100 feet into the air, and an advancing lava flow from fissure 17 at the northeast end of the fissure system. The flow from that fissure had traveled just under a mile, roughly east-southeast parallel to the rift zone, and was turning slightly south. Two more fissures — 18 and 19 — had just appeared. "This eruption is still evolving and additional outbreaks of lava are possible," reports HVO. "Ground deformation continues and seismicity remains elevated in the area. The location of future outbreaks could include areas both uprift (southwest) and downrift (northeast) of the existing fissures, or, existing fissures can be reactivated. Communities downslope of these fissures could be at risk from lava inundation. Activity can change rapidly." Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park — about two-thirds of the park — closed last Friday due to ongoing seismic activity, summit deflation, and the possibility of a steam explosion at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. Those areas of the park will remain closed until further notice. Only the Kahuku Unit is open; it's about an hour's drive south of the park's main entrance on Highway 11. At the request of the park, the FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction that extends 20,000 feet above ground level and a radius of twelve nautical miles around the volcano's summit. For more information, go to the following sites:
The eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began on May 3rd continues with undiminished vigor and the park remains closed. Since the eruption is being covered comprehensively and in a more timely manner by all media, coverage in this newsletter will remain limited to the park's situation. Earthquakes emanating from Kilauea's summit have caused cracking in park roads and some damage to park buildings. Many employees are working from home, and rangers are currently greeting and serving visitors at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in downtown Hilo. An IMT 3 (Robert Wissinger, IC) is in the park to provide assistance. A section of Highway 137, located to the east of the park, has been closed, cutting off one of the access points for those living east and south of Leilani Estates, the center for much of the rift eruption. Those communities include Kehena, Kaimu and Kalapana. The residents can still leave the area through Highway 130; nonetheless, the state Department of Transportation and National Park Service officials are working on a plan to reopen Chain of Craters Road as an emergency route out of the area. Doing so, however, would require the removal of seven-tenths of a mile of lava, which could take weeks. For more information, go to the following sites:
The eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began on May 3rd continues. Approximately two-thirds of the park is currently closed due to hazardous and increased earthquakes, corrosive ashfall, and an expected steam explosion at the volcano's summit. The park will reopen closed areas only when it is safe to do so. The park has posted a map of the closed area to its webpage. Intermittent ash plumes and dangerous debris are being ejected from Halema'uma'u Crater. If a steam explosion occurs similar to what happened in 1924, the resulting rock and ash fall will be very hazardous. The radius of direct ash fall is around two miles, which includes the Jaggar Museum overlook and areas on Highway 11 within the park boundaries. The National Park Service and Hawai'i Department of Transportation are working together to prepare the Chain of Craters-Kalapana Road as an evacuation route if Highway 130 is cut off by the Kīlauea eruption. Work started May 30th to remove a seven-tenths-of-a-mile section of solidified lava from the 2016-2017 lava flow that covers the road. The gravel route will be for evacuation purposes only, and will not be an alternate route for travel to and from the Kalapana area. Since tourism provides 30 percent of the private sector jobs on the Big Island, concern has grown over the potential of a long-term hit on the island's economy. According to an NPS economist, the impact that the park's closure will have on the local economy is best determined by breaking down the annual amount that Hawaii Volcanoes brings into the economy ($166 million in 2017) into a daily average ($455,000 per day) and multiplying that figure by the number of days the park has been closed. As of May 28th, that worked out to $7.3 million. For more information, go to the following sites:
The eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began on May 3rd continues and the park remains closed. The U.S. Geological Survey said last Thursday that the flow is still very active and there's no way to know when the eruption will end or if more lava-spewing vents will open. Here's what's known about damage to the park at present:
Solidified lava that made a park road impassable has been removed so the road could serve as an emergency evacuation route if needed. Chain of Crater Road is a 19-mile stretch of road that extends through the park, starting near the summit of the Kīlauea and winding its way down to the coast. Opened in 1965, the road has been blocked by lava for 41 of its 53-year existence. Work began on May 30th to remove a seven-tenths-of-a-mile section of solidified lava from the lava flow that covered the emergency road in 2016 and 2017. "We understand and commiserate with our community and visitors about the prolonged closure, but we cannot provide safe access to the Kilauea section of the park as long as these very unpredictable dangers threaten the safety of park staff and visitors," said Superintendent Cindy Orlando. "Unlike lava, which you can see coming and avoid, we cannot see or predict earthquakes, nor can we foresee a summit explosion, but both threats continue." For more information, go to the following sites:
Sources: Hawaii Volcanoes NP; Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park remains closed due to increased and damaging earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash, and continuing explosions from Halema'uma'u, the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano. The ongoing seismic activity continues to degrade park buildings and infrastructure on a daily basis. Earthquakes have cracked parking lots and roadways, including Highway 11 (open to through traffic), Hilina Pali Road and more. The outdoor overlook at Jaggar Museum has sustained significant fractures to its concrete deck and rock walls. The museum has foundation damage, and other buildings are damaged. Currently the park is without running water. For more information, go to the following sites:
Source: Hawaii Volcanoes NP.
Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park remains closed due to increased and damaging earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash, and continuing explosions from Halema'uma'u, the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano. Park staff have moved the park's collection of artifacts and exhibit features from Jaggar Museum due to all of the dramatic changes taking place at the summit of Kilauea. Although the building is damaged, the artifacts are now in a safe location. "The process of removing art, artifacts and informative displays from Jaggar Museum really drives home how much has changed in the park and at the summit of Kilauea since late April, and how much damage the recent activity has done," said Jessica Ferracane, the park's PAO, in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The museum and archive collection consists of more than 31,000 objects under the classifications of archeology, ethnology, history, biology, paleontology and geology, plus 1,350 linear feet of records, including documents and audio-visual material. Besides park publications, there are postcards, books, fine art paintings and the registers for the Volcano House, a hotel located on the park grounds. As of Friday, June 24th, it was estimated that the park's closure had cost the island's economy more than $19 million. Volcano House, a concession that sits at the edge of Halemaumau Crater, has laid off nearly 100 people. For a good and largely current update on the shape of the park and the status of the eruption, see these two videos:
Source: Hawaii Volcanoes NP; Honolulu Star-Advertiser; KHON News; Big Island Video News.
Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park remains closed due to earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash, and continuing explosions from Halema'uma'u, the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano. There's been little change since last week's report. For more information, go to the following sites or to the "source" link below:
Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park entered day 66 of the partial park closure last Thursday, with damage being inflicted on park infrastructure on a daily basis. The Kilauea Volcano summit area is shaken every day due to the ongoing collapse/explosion events at Halema'uma'u and resulting earthquake activity. More than 18,000 earthquakes were recorded near the summit over the 30-day period ending July 12th. Geologists from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, in cooperation with USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the park, surveyed some park trails early last week. Notable damage was observed to Crater Rim Trail between Kilauea Military Camp and Jaggar Museum near Kīlauea Overlook, as well as to Crater Rim Trail and Earthquake Trail near Waldron Ledge, Halema'uma'u Trail and more. Rockfalls have occurred along Kīlauea caldera walls, disrupting boulders loosened by the 1983 earthquake on Halema'uma'u Trail. The geologists were allowed to conduct their work after submitting a risk assessment to the park's emergency operations team and worked during periods of reduced seismicity. The team stayed in continual communication with park dispatch and all members were outfitted with personal protective equipment. Source: Big Island Video News.
Most of the park remains closed due to frequent damaging earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash, and continuing explosions from Halema'uma'u, the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano. Fissure 8, located outside of the park, continues to erupt lava into the channel leading northeastward from the vent and to the ocean. See this map for the current extent of the flows. On July 16th, a tour boat operator found out just how dangerous an eruption can be. A "lava bomb" at the ocean entry in lower Puna injured 23 people aboard a lava tour boat operating outside of park boundaries. It punctured the roof of the boat and covered it with lava. Four people were taken by ambulance to the hospital after the boat docked in Hilo; nine of those injured were able to drive themselves to the emergency room, and another ten passengers were treated at the harbor for superficial injuries. Sources: Hawaii Volcanoes NP; Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory; Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Most of the park remains closed due to frequent damaging earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash, and continuing explosions from Halema'uma'u, the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano. At the editor's request, Cindy Orlando, the park's superintendent, composed and sent along a note on how things are going in the park itself: "Our volcano continues to erupt and the ground shakes at the summit. Unlike the lava which you can prepare for and see coming, 600 earthquakes a day in the park have become the norm for us though slightly less predictable. "Right now we are managing a closure and the status quo until we can begin to assess damages, prepare a recovery strategy and begin repairs to reopen. There's not much else we can do until the eruption/related earthquakes end. "All of our permanent staff are working, with sister federal agencies serving as work sites, venues for outreach opportunities and temp office space. Only 33,000 acres of the park's 330,000 acres are in the eruption zone so there are still a lot of places to get things done in the park. [We're] talking a bit more [about] shuffling of priorities, funding, etc. and a big concern is there is no fee money coming in. We'll see how it all goes. Some buildings will have to be relocated or rebuilt." For more information on the status of the eruption, go to Hawaii Volcanoes NP and/or Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory. Source: Cindy Orlando, Superintendent, Hawaii Volcanoes NP.
Although most of the park remains closed, a phased reopening is being considered. That's in part because the summit of Kilauea has been quiet since the last collapse that occurred there on August 2nd. Reopening portions of the main park area will depend on the Geological Survey giving the park confirmation that the collapse events have ended. There have been 68 such events since this eruption began, substantially increasing the size of Halema'uma'u crater. The park will also have to deal with infrastructure issues, particularly the provision of water to visitors. Repairs to the water system could cost $40 million. In order to connect with more people, the park will crowd fund a mobile visitors center to travel the island while the park is partially closed. Superintendent Cindy Orlando said it would be crowd-funded because the eruption has made it harder for the park to secure federal dollars, noting that the "federal government is skeptical right now in investing in a park situated on an active volcano." Postscript: As if the park hasn't had enough to deal with already, they must now look at the possibility of a major hurricane hitting Hawaii. As of this writing (Tuesday evening), the odds were increasing that Category 4 Hurricane Lane would make a direct or indirect hit on the Big Island, where the park is located, sometime late this week. Source: Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Due to a lull in the eruption and associated earthquakes, the park will reopen some of its main areas on September 22nd, National Public Lands Day. Candidates for probable reopening include Kilauea Visitor Center, located near the park entrance, and a viewing area where the public can see firsthand the dramatic changes that have occurred at Halemaumau Crater. Possibilities include the Kilauea Iki overlook or Keanakakoi, but no decision has been made yet. The Jaggar Museum and overlook will not be reopening in September due to extensive damage. The popular Thurston lava tube, which is still being evaluated, will also remain closed. A team will also evaluate the cliffs beneath Volcano House; if they are stable, visitors will be allowed to return. At a depth of more than 1,200 feet, the crater is now four times deeper than it was before the eruption began. Its diameter has more then doubled. Meanwhile: Some people just don't get the point of closures (as they say, what part of 'no' do you not understand?), as attested by this item from the Big Island Now website. Eleven people who illegally entered the park last Saturday were cited by rangers for disobeying a lawful closure and for disorderly conduct. The group snuck past numerous closure signs and ventured down to the rim of Halema'uma'u Crater below Jaggar Museum. They were spotted by a park geomorphologist and trail crew assessing seismic damage across the caldera at Keanakāko'i. Members of the group parked their vehicles near Nāmakanipaio Campground and claimed they did not see the numerous closure signs between Highway 11, the museum, and the crater's edge. Each of them — ten men and one woman — was cited $100 for violating a lawful closure and $250 for disorderly conduct. There is also a $30 processing fee for each citation. Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, Big Island Now.
The park continues to work toward its goal of reopening some closed areas by September 22nd, Public Lands Day. A National Park Service geomorphology team recently began evaluating the stability of areas damaged or potentially weakened by earthquakes. Results will determine where it will be safe for visitors to go. On August 28th, non-potable water was restored to nine park buildings, including the visitor center. Water has not yet been restored to the Volcano House and water from the entire park water system remains unsafe to drink. As of August 29th, 32 park buildings had been inspected for earthquake damage. The geomorphology team also completed an initial inspection of Thurston Lava Tube, but further assessments are needed to determine if the lava tube is safe to reopen. On August 31st, the park announced that it is preparing to reopen these specific locations on September 22nd:
The Volcano Art Center Gallery and Kilauea Military Camp also plan to open that day, and limited services may be available at Volcano House. The entrance station will open by 10 a.m. on September 22nd and the park will go back to being open 24 hours a day. On September 10th, a team of engineers from the Federal Highway Administration will begin assessments of park roads. Due to extensive earthquake damage, no vehicles over 15,000 pounds will be allowed to enter the park when it reopens. Source: Big Island Video News.
The park reopened on Saturday, Public Lands Day, following a 135-day closure caused by eruptions, quakes, ash clouds, and the collapse of the Halemaumau crater. Outside the park, lava flows consumed entire neighborhoods, filled an ocean bay and created miles of new shoreline with fresh black sand beaches and jagged rocky outcrops, reports NBC News. Inside the park, molten rock drained from the summit lava lake and vanished from view as the landscape underwent a monumental change. The summit crater floor sunk 1,500 feet and the overall Kilauea caldera quadrupled in size as lava drained out of the active vent. One of the park's biggest draws, though, has disappeared — the red glow from the lava lake inside Halemaumau, Public access to the volcano remains limited because of damage to its infrastructure. But visitors can once again hike around some parts of the summit area and see the aftermath of the historic eruption. While volcanic activity has slowed significantly in the past month and no lava is reaching the surface at Kilauea, scientists aren't ready to declare the latest eruption over. The park has prepared a list of FAQs that provide additional information on the reopening. A video of an illustrated September 12th USGS lecture showing the changes in the crater can be found at this Big Island News webpage. Source: NBC News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Volcano House Hotel resumed its restaurant service on October 25th after months of closure following the Kilauea eruption. The hotel was forced to temporarily close at the same time as the park due to the increased seismic activity brought on by the eruption. When the park reopened in late September, parts of the hotel reopened as well, but kitchen services could not resume immediately. Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The park's reopening has brought visitors back, but perhaps not as quickly as some expected. Tourism to the area is still down from before Kilauea's recent eruption, which began on May 3rd. Businesses reported erratic visitor numbers, as the island's tourist industry remains sluggish. Source: West Hawaii Today.
There's not much new being reported these days, so we'll conclude the year with short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Staff from the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and other scientists have published the first detailed summary of this year's months long eruption. The report, entitled The 2018 Rift Eruption And Summit Collapse Of Kīlauea Volcano, was published in the journal Science this week. It provides a timeline for the eruption, considered the most destructive in the volcano's recorded history, and shows that it contained a combination of volcanic events that has seldom been observed. The New York Times article on the report also provides "a summary of key volcanic events in Kilauea's 2018 outburst, in the order in which they occurred." Source: New York Times.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The park continues to recover from last year's extended eruption of Kilauea, and now hopes to be able to reopen the Thurston Lava Tube this year after improving traffic congestion issues at the location. The lava tube has been closed to the public since the eruption out of concern that the thousands of associated earthquakes might have compromised the tube's structural integrity. Structural analyses have been conducted on the tube, including one by a National Park Service mining engineer who created a 3D laser scan of the tube's interior, and that data is now being compared to a pre-eruption scan of the tube in order to determine what changes have occurred, if any. Initial impressions from the analysis have the park's administration hopeful that the tube can be reopened sometime this year. Source: Michael Brestovansky, Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a USGS facility presently located within the park, may move from the Big Island to Oahu due to damage incurred in Kilauea's eruption last year. Other options include a new site within the park or on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The observatory has been located at the rim of Kilauea's caldera for more than a century; its existence predates the establishment of the national park. Source: Associated Press via U.S. News and World Report.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Much of the famed Kīlauea Iki Trail reopened in time for National Park Week — nearly a year after Kilauea's extended eruption. The park was closed for 134 days last year. While much of the park and two-thirds of trail are now open, some areas remain closed for safety reasons. Source: Katia Hetter, CNN.
A 32-year-old man was rescued by rangers and personnel from Hawai'i County Fire Department on the evening of May 1st after he fell into Kīlauea's caldera and was seriously injured. The man fell from a 300-foot cliff after climbing over a permanent metal railing at the Steaming Bluff overlook to get closer to the edge. Another visitor reported the fall. Search and rescue crews found him alive but seriously injured on a narrow ledge about 70 feet down from the cliff around 9 p.m. The 32-year-old man, whose name has not been released, is an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army. His unit is on the island for field training at the Pohakuloa Training Area. Source: Julio Jacobo, ABC News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The park continues its slow but steady recovery from last year's eruption. On July 11th, Napau Crater and a two-mile section of trail in Kilauea's East Rift Zone wilderness reopened. Pu'u 'O'o vent will remain closed due to its steep and unstable flanks, but hikers will be able to walk right up to its base. Source: Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — About two miles of the Kilauea Iki Overlook and its trailhead were opened back up in May, but some sections of the trail had been so heavily damaged by last year's eruption that they couldn't be reopened to the public at that time. Work on those sections has now been completed and the trail is now fully open. Repairs cost $100,000. Source: KITV News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Recovery from the 2018 eruption continues. Last week, the park awarded a $3.3 million contract to a construction company to repair roads and trails that were damaged during the eruption. Among the areas slated for repair are Crater Rim Drive and Trail between Kilauea Military Camp and Kilauea Overlook; Waldron Ledge and Crater Rim Trail between Volcano House and Kilauea Iki; a five-mile section of Hilina Pali Road between Kulanaokuaiki Campground and the Hilina Pali Overlook; Chain of Craters Road; a section of pavement near the entrance station; and a road servicing the park's water-catchment system. Work is expected to begin by mid-February and will likely conclude this summer. Source: West Hawaii Today.
A summary of recent openings, closures and other changes in the status of parks and their facilities, Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The Holei Sea Arch overlook at the end of Chain of Craters Road has been closed until further notice due to new cracks and instability observed on the coastal cliffs. The park is consulting with subject matter experts regarding the extent of the hazard. Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The recovery from the 2018 eruption continues, with a benchmark attained on February 21st with the reopening of the Thurston Lava Tube. One of the three biggest attractions in the park — alongside the already-reopened visitors center and the indefinitely shuttered Jaggar Museum — the lava tube, also called Nahuku, has been closed for 658 days, ever since the park shut down in 2018 during the Kilauea eruption. Repairs and upgrades required thousands of hours of labor, coordination with mainland agencies, and the expenditure of about $170,000. Source: Michael Brestovansky, Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The park has opened a new viewing area for the Hōlei Sea Arch, located about 1,000 feet past the gate at the end of Chain of Craters Road atop hardened pāhoehoe lava. The original sea arch viewing area has been closed since January 16th due to the discovery of cracks and instability in the coastal cliffs in the area. Source: National Park Service.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — On August 25th, Kilauea Overlook reopened following a two year closure to repair eruption damage. The 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse created unsafe conditions at the overlook and caused numerous earth cracks and gaping sink holes on Crater Rim Trail leading to the overlook. The trail has been repaired and post-and-cable barriers near the crater's edge have been upgraded. Extensive repairs to Crater Rim Drive near Kīlauea Military Camp and to the road leading to Kīlauea Overlook have also been completed, and the parking lot has been resurfaced and striped. Source: Big Island Video News.
Two experienced hikers, ages 82 and 72, were rescued by county helicopter after becoming lost overnight in the park and running out of water. The men reportedly got off to a late start Wednesday afternoon from the Mau Loa o Mauna Ulu trailhead to Keauhou and wandered off trail during a rigorous 7.6-mile downhill hike through the Ka'u Desert. The men didn't reach the campsite and bedded down off trail overnight. On Thursday, they found a familiar landmark but because of the rough terrain and lack of water were unable to make much distance. They called an emergency contact listed on their backcountry permit by 4 p.m., who called the park to report them lost. Hawaii County Fire Department found the men on a rough, hardened lava field above Apua Point and the helicopter rescued them. Both men were mildly hydrated but didn't require further medical attention. Source: West Hawaii Today.
Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted again on Sunday night, with lava shooting into air, boiling away a water lake and sending a massive plume of steam, gas and ash soaring into the atmosphere. In the first hours of the eruption, lava mixed rapidly with water in the summit's crater lake to create steam. The sky above the eruption turned shades of orange and red as people lined up to watch the billowing column of gas and vapor rise above the volcano in the middle of the night. All the water evaporated out of the lake and a steam cloud shot up about 30,000 feet into the atmosphere. The eruption began late Sunday within the volcano's caldera. Because of the location of the erupting lava, no homes were evacuated and there was little risk to the public. The crater, named Halemaumau, is located within the park and was home to a longstanding lava lake that was present for years before a 2018 eruption caused it to drain. Cars are lining up at the park entrance to get a glimpse of the lava and there's a long wait to get out to Kilauea overlook, where parking is scarce. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit about an hour after the volcano began erupting. The USGS said it received more than 500 reports of people who felt the earthquake but significant damage to buildings or structures was not reported. Source: Caleb Jones, Associated Press.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — The eruption of Kilauea volcano has entered its second week. Scientists continue to monitor the activity within the rising lava lake at the summit. The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the activity is confined to the summit caldera, with lava erupting from vents on the northwest side of the crater. HVO says there is no indication that additional magma is currently moving into the rift zones beyond the summit area. Meanwhile, rangers have cited dozens of people who have gathered to watch the volcano's eruption. Rangers said that those cited had ventured into dangerous areas to take photos and videos of the volcano eruption. Full story (and images) on eruption; full story on citations. Sources: Big Island Video News, Associated Press.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea's seismicity, deformation, and gas emissions for any sign of reactivation, and maintains visual surveillance of the summit and the East Rift Zone. Lava activity is confined to Halema'uma'u with lava erupting from a vent on the northwest side of the crater. As of this past Monday, the lava lake was about 205 meters (673 feet) deep and only the western half is active. SO2 emission rates remained elevated. The summit tiltmeters are on an inflationary trend; seismicity remains elevated but stable, with steady elevated tremors and a few minor earthquakes. There is no seismic or deformation data to indicate that additional magma is currently moving into either of Kīlauea's rift zones. SO2 and H2S emissions from Pu'u 'Ō'ō were below instrumental detection levels when measured on January 7th. Please see following for additional technical information. Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Hawaii Volcanoes NP — Kīlauea Volcano is erupting. Lava activity is confined to Halema'uma'u with lava erupting from a vent on the northwest side of the crater. As of the morning of February 9th, the lava in the western, active portion of the lake in Halema'uma'u was about 700 feet deep, with the eastern portion of the lava lake solidified at the surface. SO2 emission rates remain elevated. Geodetic monitors indicate that the upper portion of the East Rift Zone (between the summit and Pu'u 'Ō'ō) contracted while the summit deflated at the onset of this eruption. There is no seismic or deformation data to indicate that additional magma is currently moving into either of Kīlauea's rift zones. Source: USGS.
Kilauea Volcano continues to erupt, but there's been no significant change in activity since last reported in this newsletter. Lava activity is confined to Halema'uma'u, with lava erupting from a vent on the northwest side of the crater. As of the morning of February 13th, the lava in the western, active portion of the lake in Halema'uma'u was about 700 feet deep, with the eastern portion of the lava lake solidified at the surface. SO2 emission rates remain elevated. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurements are lower than the emission rates from the pre-2018 lava lake. The summit tiltmeters show inflationary tilt continuing. Seismicity remains elevated but stable, with elevated tremor and a few minor earthquakes. Source: USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory.
On August 23, a series of over 140 earthquakes hit the park, nine of which were at least 2.5 magnitude, raising questions about whether Kilauea might be erupting. Officials have since confirmed that it is not erupting, but they are monitoring it closely. They believe it could indicate shallow movement of magma beneath the south part of the Kilauea caldera. Source: WKRN
On October 21, a male nene (Hawaiian goose) was struck by a car on Chain of Crater Road near the Mau Loa o Maunaulu trailhead. It was the third nene killed on the road in two weeks; the second was the female mate of the third. The nene is Hawai'i's official state bird and is the rarest goose in the world. Once on the brink of extinction, the nene have blossomed to 3,500 individuals state-wide. Source: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
NPS staff found about 100 coconuts illegally dumped in Kipu-Kaki off Mauna Loa Road. The coconuts came with little fire ants which can be highly disruptive to the local ecosystem. Staff are working to treat to the area to get rid of the fire ants. Source: KHON2
On January 3, a 75-year-old visitor was reported missing by family members. The victim's body was found by NPS staff and Hawai'i County firefighters after dark 100 feet below the crater rim, west of the Uēkahuna viewing area at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The body was recovered by helicopter the next morning and an investigation is currently underway. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On April 19, a motorcycle headed north on Highway 11 crashed into the side of an SUV that was turning left into the park. The 21-year-old motorcyclist passed away from injuries sustained in the crash. Source: Big Island Video News July 13, 2022 On July 11, a wildfire started on a powerline road on the southeast flank of Mauna Loa. The cause is unknown and under investigation. The park closed the Mauna Loa Road from the gate at the Kīpukapuaulu parking lot. As of July 12, the fire was estimated at 46 acres with several dozen personnel assigned. 1,760 feet of ungulate-proof fence was damaged, but no homes or other structures were considered to be threatened as of July 12. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On July 20, the park reported on its Facebook page that the iconic Hōlei Sea Arch lost a key part of its base due to "historic" 20-25-foot swells coming off Hurricane Darby and is now at risk of collapse. Source: The Sacramento Bee
As of July 19, the Power Line Fire was 100% contained at 42.5 acres. Source: KHON
On August 1, the park closed Nāhuku lava tube after a crackmeter measured a fracture that has narrowed 2.47mm over the course of two days. The fracture is near a large overhanging rock slab at the apex of the lava tube, creating potentially dangerous conditions for visitors. The park is monitoring the lava tube and will consider reopening when it is considered safe to do so. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park August 24, 2022 The Nāhuku lava tube was reopened on August 17. It had been closed since July 30, when scientists utilizing a crackmeter found that a fracture was moving quickly and could trigger a rockfall. Since then, the movement in the fracture has returned to previous levels and the site has been inspected. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On October 5, the park closed the Mauna Loa summit backcountry due to elevated seismic activity. Mauna Loa Road and Lookout remain open to the public. The alert level remains at advisory and the closure is a precautionary measure. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On October 9, a fire was observed in the park's newly acquired Kahuku-Pōhue parcel. Personnel from Hawai'i County Fire Department and the NPS responded and were able to contain the fire. The fire came close to two active honu'ea (Hawaiian hawksbill turtle) nests, but did not harm them. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the park. Public access to the area is currently restricted. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On October 28, the Hawai'i County Civil Defense Agency issued a volcano advisory alert after 36 small earthquakes were detected near Mauna Loa over 24 hours. The agency said that there are "no signs of an imminent eruption at this time" and that the earthquakes are likely from a renewed input of magma two to five miles beneath the volcano's summit. Elevated seismic activity has been noted since mid-June. The summit has been closed to all backcountry hikers since mid-September and continues to be closed. The main section of the park remains open. Source: ABC News 12
On November 9, the park closed the Uēkahuna overlook, restrooms, and parking lot to protect breeding and nesting nēnē in the area. Nēnē are endangered, with only 30 existing in the wild in 1952, and close to 200 now living in the park. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On November 27, Mauna Loa erupted for the first time since 1984. The eruption began in the summit caldera, then migrated into the northeast rift zone. The park has closed Mauna Loa Road from the gate at Kīpukapuaulu, as well as the Mauna Loa Observatory Road (outside the park). A temporary flight restriction for a five-mile radius around Mauna Loa summit was enacted by the Federal Aviation Administration. The park expects an influx of visitors to witness the rare dual eruption of both Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, which has been erupting since September 2021. Neither eruption is threatening homes of infrastructure at this time, and visitors are advised to be cautious, informed, and prepared. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On December 20, lightning sparked a wildfire in a remote wilderness area of the park below Hilina Pali Lookout. The Hilina Pali Road was closed from Kulanaokuaiki Campground to Hilina Pali Lookout, and the Ka'aha Trail was also closed. As of December 23, the wildfire was 100% contained at five acres and the road and trail were reopened. Source: Big Island Now, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (12/21, 12/23)
On January 5, Kīlauea began erupting inside its summit crater, Halemauau. It has been a little under a month since the volcano and neighboring volcano Mauna Loa stopped erupting most recently. The U.S. Geological Survey raised the alert level earlier in the day because there were signs of magma rising that indicated it might erupt. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor both volcanoes for further activity. Source: Nation World News
On January 7, a picture was posted on social media, showing a person urinating at a Kīlauea eruption viewing area in the park. The post received heavy backlash, and the individual tagged in the photo deactivated their social media account. The park made a statement that said, "Not only does it seem to depict the improper disposal of human waste in a developed area, which is in violation of Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, but it also demonstrates a lack of understanding and disregard for the cultural significance of Kīlauea." Source: Hawaii News Now
On January 15, a 70-year-old was at the Keanakakoi lava viewing overlook when they experienced a medical emergency. Bystanders called 911 and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until medics arrived. Medics performed further CPR, but the individual was pronounced dead and taken to the Hilo Medical Center. Source: Hawaii News Now
On January 13, someone stole a replica of a traditional feather helmet from the Volcano House Hotel. The helmet was made by renowned artist Rick San Nicolas, and was displayed in a case near the front desk. Surveillance cameras captured images of two individuals in the lobby around the time of the theft. The park is looking for any information the public might have about the incident. Source: KHON2
On June 7, Kīlauea volcano began erupting from the Haleama'uma'u crater. Scientists are monitoring hazards from volcanic gas and volcanic glass fragments that can fall downwind. No infrastructure is currently threatened and the eruption took place in an area already closed to the public. Source: National Parks Traveler, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Facebook page
Most of the park was closed preemptively on July 18 ahead of the landfall of Tropical Storm Calvin, which was expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding, damaging wind, and high surf for several days. The park received relatively minimal damage in the storm and most areas reopened on July 19. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (7/18, 7/19)
On August 6, the park closed vehicle access on Mauna Loa Road past the gate at Kīpukapuaulu and Hilina Pali Road beyond Kulanaokuaiki Campground due to severe fire weather conditions in the forecast. Pedestrians and bicyclists may still access the closed sections. Campfires and open flame cooking fires are also prohibited in the park. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On October 7, the park closed several trails, viewing areas, and parking lots due to increased seismic activity and inflation at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The park and the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Observatory are monitoring the area. Source: Hawaii News Now
On October 25, the park closed the Mauna Iki Trail and the Ka'ū Desert/Footprints Trail, past the Footprints exhibit to the Mauna Iki Trail intersection due to volcanic "episodic unrest" in the area south of the Kīlauea summit. Source: Big Island Video News
On November 21, the park closed Chain of Craters Road at the intersection near Devastation parking lot, as well as the Devastation Trail and the Keanakāko'i Crater side of Kīlauea caldera, due to increased seismic activity in the upper East Rift Zone near Puhimau Crater on Kīlauea volcano. Seismic activity subsided that evening and the areas reopened on November 22. The Mauna Iki Trail and a section of the Ka'ū Desert Trail have been closed since October due to volcanic activity, and they remain closed. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (11/21, 11/22)
The park has temporarily closed part of the parking lot at Uēkahuna and a short stretch of Crater Rim Trail to protect a nesting pair of nēnē. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Pepeiao Cabin and the Ka'ū Desert Trail have reopened. They closed in October due to increased seismicity in the area south-southwest of Kīlauea caldera. Unrest in the volcano continues, mostly southeast of Kaluapele, the Kīlauea summit caldera. The Mauna Iki Trail remains closed. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On December 28, the park reopened the Maunaiki Trail from the trailhead to the Ka'ū Desert Trail intersection. It has been closed since October 2023 due to increased seismicity in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano. Seismic activity has since lessened. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On January 14, two hikers called 911, saying they were out of food and water and their phones were running out of power. They were located around 11,000 feet on the slopes of Mauna Loa. The mountain was closed at the time above 10,000 feet due to severe winter weather and high winds. The individuals had not checked in and picked up their permit, so they did not know about the closure. A helicopter was deployed and was able to locate and land near the two hikers. Both individuals were uninjured. An NPS staff member gave the individuals food, water, and a satellite communication device, as well as directions to the nearest shelter. The elevation and gusty winds made transportation of the two individuals too risky. That evening, the hikers sent a message saying they had lost the trail in bad weather near 10,300 feet. The following morning, the hikers were extracted by helicopter, one-by-one. The hikers, along with two others they had hiked with (who self-extricated safely after separating), were cited for entering the area without a permit. Source: Spectrum News
The park recently made an announcement on its social media asking visitors to not leave non-traditional offerings that "harm the environment and detract from the natural beauty of Kīlauea," such as meat and fish, which can rot and attract animals. It is a traditional practice by Native Hawaiians to leave offerings (ho'okupu) to pay respect to Pelehonuamea at the volcano. The park asks that visitors consider more traditional offerings or other types of expression, such as prayer, chants, or dance. Source: Big Island Video News
On April 29, Kīlauea volcano experienced a "significant spike" in earthquakes. It is not erupting, but the park has closed several areas that would put visitors and staff at risk if an eruption occurs. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, is not possible to know if this increase will lead to an eruption in the near future or remain confined below ground. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On May 4, the park reopened the areas of the park that were closed due to increased seismicity in the area (see 5/1/24 Coalition Report). Seismic activity has returned to normal levels. Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser
On June 3 around 12:30 AM, Kīlauea volcano began erupting in an already-closed area of the park. Temporary closures of nearby roads, trails, and campgrounds were put into place for safety. On June 7, many of the closures were lifted because the eruption halted. The Maunaiki Trail and Ka'ū Desert Trail past the Footprints Exhibit remain closed due to "elevated gases and other volcanic hazards." Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (6/3, 6/7)
On June 18, the Ka'ū Desert Trail and Maunaiki Trail reopened. They had been closed since a fissure eruption on Kīlauea volcano on June 3. Visitors are warned to stay on trail due to hazards and pay attention for new cracks that may have bisected the Maunaiki Trail. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On July 1, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory recorded a sudden spike in earthquakes southeast of the summit of Kīlauea volcano in the vicinity of Chain of Craters Road between Puhimau and Luamanu craters. No park closures were enacted, but the park warned that temporary closures could occur if seismicity increases. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On July 16, the park closed Mauna Loa Road to vehicles from the gate past Kīpukapuaulu to Mauna Loa Lookout, as well as the Hilina Pali Road from Maunaiki Trailhead to Hilina Pali Lookout, due to elevated fire risk. Pedestrians and bicyclists may continue to utilize both roads, and "backcountry permit holders will be provided access to trailheads." Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On July 22, the park experienced a sudden increase in earthquakes and ground deformation in the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. The park closed several roads and trails for public safety. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
On July 26, the seismic activity in the Upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano (see 7/24/24 Coalition Report) ended. On July 26, the park reopened the Chain of Craters Road to bicycles and pedestrians. On July 29, the road reopened to vehicles. The Maunaulu parking lot and access road remain closed due to significant cracks and buckling in the pavement. Other roads and backcountry areas are also open. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (7/26, 7/29)
On August 21, seismic activity caused the widening of cracks on the Chain of Craters Road between Hilina Pali Road and the Maunaulu parking lot. The cracks originally formed during previous seismic activity on July 21 (see 7/24/24 and 8/7/24 Coalition Reports). The park closed the road to vehicles from the intersection of Crater Rim Drive East to the coast to assess the damage. The road remained open to bicycles and pedestrians. On August 28, the road reopened due to diminished seismicity in the area. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (8/21, 8/28)
On August 23, the park closed the coastal and Mauna Loa summit backcountry areas to day hiking and overnight camping due to the prediction of tropical storm winds. They have since reopened. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Vertical Aviation International, a trade group representing U.S. air tour operators, and Safari Helicopters Hawaii have filed a petition for review with a federal court of appeals for the park's air tour management plan. The plan heavily reduces the number of helicopter sightseeing flights allowed over the park, in addition to operating restrictions. The plan was finalized in December 2023. The petition argues that the plan is unsafe for pilots, blocks access for visitors with mobility issues, and is economically unfeasible for air tour companies. They argue that the Federal Aviation Administration and NPS violated the Administration Practices Act by not meaningfully evaluating aircraft safety and accessibility after they were questioned in public comments, and therefore the plan is "arbitrary and capricious." As noted in the article, the Coalition served as an intervenor for the FAA and NPS in a separate legal suit brought by Vertical Aviation International regarding the air tour plans for Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The court found that the FAA and NPS had followed procedure. Source: Honolulu Civil Beat
On September 15, an intrusion of magma began in Kīlauea's middle East Rift Zone. On September 16, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory measured heightened gas emissions and volcanic unrest, causing it to raise its Volcano Alert Level from "advisory" to "watch." The park closed Chain of Craters Road due to the potential of an eruption in the region. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Volcanic unrest remains variable (see 9/18/24 Coalition Report). On September 18, the park reopened Hilina Pali Road and Kulanaokuaiki Campground because eruption hazards in the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano had eased. However, that afternoon, the middle East Rift Zone eruption significantly increased in volume. The Maunaulu Trail and parking area, Nāpau Trail, Nāulu Trail, and Kealakomo Overlook were again closed to all use due to continued eruption hazards, including gas emissions and the potential for wildland fire. On September 30, the park reopened the Maunaulu Trail and parking lot, Pu'uhuluhulu, the Nāulu Trail, and the Nāpau Trail to the junction with Nāulu Trail. As of September 30, Nāpau Trail past Makaopuhi crater, Nāpau campground and Nāpau crater all remain closed. The Nāpau campground was inundated with lava over "four eruptive episodes between September 15 and 20," and a wildfire ignited by an eruption burned about 90 acres of forest. Only one campsite remains at Nāpau. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (9/18, 9/19, 9/30)
On September 15, a wildfire started due to an eruption of Kīlauea volcano in the East Rift Zone. On October 8, the park closed the parking lot at Maunaulu and Nāpau Trail due to suppression efforts. On October 11, the Manaulu area and associated trails reopened. As of October 11, the fire was 78 acres and 70% contained. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (10/8, 10/11)
On December 3, a 70-year-old bicyclist was "severely injured" by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident at the intersection of Highway 11 and the road to Namakanipaio Campground. The park is looking for any information the public can provide. Source: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park | |