LAVALY SCENES

Huge Volcano Eruption Forces National Park Closure

It’s the 43rd eruption in an ongoing saga.

A Hawaiian volcano has shot a lava fountain 1,000 feet into the air, closing highways and parts of a National Park. Located on the Big Island, Kilauea has been erupting since December 2024, with 43 incidents recorded since then. Tuesday’s episode saw glassy volcanic fragments and ash called tephra shoot high into the sky, as the lava fountained below in dramatic scenes. The ongoing situation at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has seen the dual lava fountains remain within the crater at the summit of the volcano. It has not posed a threat to nearby communities, although parts of the park around the summit were temporarily closed. A shelter was set up in a nearby gymnasium, although the Associated Press reports, citing Hawaii County spokesperson Tom Callis, that no one had used it. Meanwhile, the island’s key artery, Highway 11, has been closed on both sides of the park. Tephra can irritate the eyes and lungs, and previous ashfalls during the ongoing episode have left communities needing extra help clearing the mess.

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