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Tag: Hawaii

Wildfire burns thousands of acres on Hawaii island

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 2 Comments on Wildfire burns thousands of acres on Hawaii island

Unexploded ordnances make it unsafe for firefighters or aircraft to battle the blaze

Kahoʻolawe brush fire satellite photo
The red dots represent heat on the Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe, detected February 22 by a NASA satellite. On the following day, February 23, the fire spread further to the south and east. Smoke can be seen blowing off to the south.

A brush fire on the smallest of the main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands has burned approximately 4,000 acres on Kahoʻolawe southwest of Maui since it was reported Saturday. (UPDATE at 7:02 a.m. MST Feb, 25, 2020: on Monday fire officials said the fire had burned 5,400 acres.)

The island is sacred to the native population, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 the island was transformed into a bombing range. Ships fired their big guns at the island and submarines tested torpedoes by firing them at the shoreline cliffs. The weapons testing stopped in 1990 but in spite of removing more than 9 million pounds of unexploded ordnances it is still not safe for firefighters to attempt to suppress fires on the island. That includes ground-based firefighters as well as water-dropping aircraft, said fire officials on Maui.

The most notorious of the weapons tested on the island were the three “Sailor Hat” tests in which 500 tons of TNT were detonated to simulate the blast effects of nuclear weapons on shipboard weapon systems.

Air Tanker 911, a DC-10, left Richmond, Australia Monday afternoon U.S. time en route to the U.S. and within the next 24 hours will likely refuel in Hawaii. If it wasn’t for the danger of the fire burning through unexploded ordnances, it would be a rare opportunity for a Very Large Air Tanker to drop on a fire in Hawaii.

Wildfire on Maui causes evacuations, burns 10,000 acres

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 1 Comment on Wildfire on Maui causes evacuations, burns 10,000 acres
wildfire on Maui Thursday
A wildfire on Maui Thursday burned 10,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate. Photo courtesy of the County of Maui.

A wildfire that erupted Thursday morning on the Hawaii island of Maui burned 10,000 acres and forced thousands to evacuate. Most of the residents returned to their homes Thursday night but the fire is still active in places.

Reported at 10:42 a.m. near the intersection of Waiko Road and Kuihelani Highway, the blaze quickly jumped the Kuihelani Highway, while pushed by 15 to 20 mph winds.

wildfire Maui detected by satellite july 11 2019
Wildfire on Maui detected by a satellite, July 11, 2019.

The Fire Department’s two helicopters, Air One and Air Two, dropped water, and private companies and the County Department of Public Works made their dozers available.

The Maui Humane Society evacuated about 200 animals.

For a while Thursday The Kahului Airport lost commercial power and was running on generators. Incoming flights were diverted and 11 motor coaches and school busses were standing by at the airport in case visitors had to be evacuated to shelters.

Roads that had been closed, North Kihei Road, Kuihelani Highway, and Maui Veterans Highway reopened Thursday night.

Opra Winfrey, who owns a home on Maui, allowed County officials access to her private road.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Vegetation buried by lava produces methane burning with blue flame

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

Above: Blue flames can be visible when vegetation buried by hot lava produces methane which vents and is then ignited. Screenshot from USGS video.

What’s happening on Hawaii’s big island as the eruption of the Kilauea volcano enters its fourth week seems like it is from another world — huge mounds of red-hot lava rumbling in slow motion over homes and forests as it makes it to the sea. Where it enters the cold water it produces what is called “laze,” hydrochloric acid steam that pours into the air along with fine particles of glass. Laze can cause lung, eye, and skin irritation and caused the deaths of two people in 2000.

Since it is the wet season in Hawaii brush fires caused by the eruption are not a big concern, but the lava finds a way to burn the vegetation regardless. The USGS explains:

When hot lava buries plants and shrubs, methane gas is produced as a byproduct of burning vegetation. Methane gas can seep into subsurface voids and explode when heated, or as shown in this video, emerge from cracks in the ground several feet away from the lava. When ignited, the methane produces a blue flame. Intermittent short bursts of methane are visible in the center area of the video. Lava fountaining is visible to the right and left sides of the video.

Lava causes brush fire in Hawaii

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 2 Comments on Lava causes brush fire in Hawaii

The eruption and lava flow from the volcano on Hawaii’s big island has ignited vegetation, causing a fire and forcing additional evacuations.

Below is an update from Hawaii County Civil Defense issued Saturday evening:

This is a Civil Defense Message for Saturday, May 19 at 9:00 in the evening.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor active flows.  The flow originating from fissure 20 has again split into two lobes, both are currently heading in the general direction of the 13 mile marker on Highway 137.  Flow front #1 is approximately 630 meters from Highway 137 and moving about a 100 meters per hour.  Flow front #2 is approximately 750 meters from Highway 137 and moving about the same speed.  At the current rate, the lava flow may cross the highway within the next five to seven hours.

Highway 137 is closed between Kamaili Road and Pohoiki Road.  Kamaili Road is closed between Highway 130 and Highway 137 due to a brush fire. Residents in the area have been evacuated.

lava volcano brush fire
Photo from Twitter user Kimberly @kimberlyaliceMT:
Just for a little bit of scale and a reality check… The two circled white specks are @USGSVolcanoes workers going down to collect lava samples earlier today.

 

A prescribed fire, burning operation on a wildfire, or volcano?

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

At first glance it looks like it could be any of the three

The USGS released this photo today in their update on the Hawaii volcano:

#HVO #Kilauea May 16 evening update: Ash emission at the summit has decreased and is drifting slowly northward. M3+ EQs at the summit caused Hwy 11 cracking. Decreased spattering at fissure 17. goo.gl/hCVW5T

“M3+ EQs” means magnitude 3+ earthquakes.

Two teams are managing the volcano incident in Hawaii

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 2 Comments on Two teams are managing the volcano incident in Hawaii

Two separate organizations are managing the issues surrounding the eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.

The fissures we have been hearing about that are producing toxic gasses and lava flows are on private land on the big island, the Island of Hawaii.

Kilauea volcano fissures map
Map showing the location of the volcano fissures on the Big Island. Click to enlarge.

The large, black convection column is at the Kilauea volcano in Volcanoes National Park 23 miles west of the fissures.  After the level of the lava lake fell by several hundred feet, freshly exposed rocks on the sides of the crater began falling into the lava, creating the black smoke and ash clouds sometimes rising several thousand feet. Due to this and the possibility of a massive explosion if water is introduced into the volcano, creating steam, at the request of the NPS the FAA has issued a Temporary Flight Restriction that extends 20,000 feet AGL and a 12-nautical-mile radius around the summit.

In response to our inquires, Volcanoes National Park Fire Management Officer Greg Funderburk sent us this description of how the incidents are being managed:

“There are currently two separate incidents being managed on the Island of Hawaii.  These incidents are both associated with the Kilauea Volcano.

“The Leilani Fissure Eruption is being managed by Hawaii County and the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.  FEMA and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency are assisting with the overall management effort.  This incident is located on private land in the rural Puna district of Hawaii County.

“There is currently no significant wildfire activity associated with the lava flow.  The area has been receiving frequent rainfall and fuels are in the greenup stage.  If the lava activity continues into the dry season wildfire potential may increase.

“On-scene Incident Management of the Leilani Fissure Eruption is currently being provided by a Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) from the Honolulu Fire Department (IC-Bowers) under a Delegation of Authority from the Hawaii County Fire Department.

“The National Park Service is managing an event within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  The 2018 HAVO Increased Volcanic Activity Incident has been managed by a local Type 3 organization (IC-Broward), but transfer of command will take place to the NPS Western IMT (IC-Wissinger) at 0800 on May 16, 2018.  The IMT is managing the risk associated with a possible large steam eruption that is predicted to occur at the summit of Kilauea.”

Mr. Funderburk explained that some of the objectives of the IMT include maintaining closures, damage assessments, disseminating information, and managing traffic.

Links to more information: