Ever Since the volcanic eruption in hawaii a week ago, Residents dealing with kilauea’s eruption faced a fresh challenge as lava reached the pacific ocean and threatened to send up a mix of volcanic particles and noxious gas
The Hawaii’s Civil Defense Agency warned people to stay away from the plume, called laze — an amalgamation of lava and haze — which is toxic and can cause eye and skin irritation and lung damage.
Everyone was warned to stay away from the area near MacKenzie State Park where the lava met the Pacific Ocean. Highway 137 was also closed in the area due to the lava flow, the U.S. Coast Guard was monitoring the area, though boats with onlookers were allowed nearby with permission.
Hawaii had issued new evacuations on Saturday as active lava flows caused brush fires to spread in Puna, the state’s easternmost district. officials were unsure how many homes in the region the new evacuation orders would affect, but they were going door to door to check on residents. Many of the people in the area had already voluntarily evacuated
The mayor’s office also confirmed the first injury since Kilauea erupted May 3. A homeowner on Noni Farms Road in the hard-hit town of Pahoa was sitting on his balcony when he was hit with lava splatter. The man was hit on the leg and shattered everything from the shin down to his foot, the spokesperson said. The man was rushed to the hospital for treatment.Authorities have also warned that the chunks of molten rock can weigh as much as a refrigerator and that even small pieces an kill
Authorities are trying to clear around a mile of hardened lava from a road blocked by an eruption in 2014, in order to open up alternative escape route for coastal residents.
The Hawaii national guard has warned mandatory evacuations would take place if more roads become blocked.
Several people were trapped when lava crossed a road on Friday, with some of the group needing to be airlifted to safety.
