By GREGORY BULL and ANDREW SELSKY
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Lava from the world’s largest volcano is so hot and bright that the sky has turned orange. At night, crowds of people have gathered to witness nature’s spectacular light show in Hawaii.
Some onlookers left an offering of flowers on top of the black lava that had flowed from Mauna Loa in previous eruptions. Pele, the Hawaiian volcano deity, is revered by many Hawaiians.
mauna loa, which last erupted 38 years ago, is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii. A series of earthquakes in November indicated it was becoming active again, and on Sunday it spewed ash and debris into the sky.
Since then, lava has erupted from a fissure, rolled down hillsides in sparkling rivers and threatened a key highway connecting east and west Hawaii. The bright orange lava can be seen for miles. Local residents and visitors flocked to Saddle Road and Volcanoes National Park to witness the spectacle..
The path traverses fields of black lava from previous eruptions, a reminder that the Hawaiian Islands are a chain of volcanoes sitting in the Ring of Fire, characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
Lauren Kish, a hospice nurse from the nearby town of Waimea, took her 7-month-old daughter Mayla to see the eruption at sunrise Wednesday.
“She wanted to see Pele,” Kish said. “She wanted to meet her.”
In 2018, Kish saw the nearby Kilauea volcano erupt. Both eruptions brought the same feeling of being in awe of the force of nature.
“You feel like an energy movement across the island and everyone is excited,” he said.
Viewers have been taking selfies and group photos, using the dramatic backdrop provided by Mother Nature.
Initially, officials were concerned the lava was heading toward the South Kona community, but instead it migrated into a rift zone that scientists say does not threaten communities.
Ken Hon, scientist in charge of the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, said the lava “has subsided considerably” and is 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers) south of the highway. At that rate, it would be at least a week before it hits the road.
“We really don’t know which way the lava flow will eventually go.”
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Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon.
