June 29, 2018 Pele Destroys Kapoho Homes
Pele has destroyed several more homes in the Kapoho Beach Lots/Ag Lots area on the Big Island of Hawaii over the past few days. She is now moving steadily toward the Alahanui Hot Pond and Kua O Ka La Charter School. As of this morning, our estimate was that lava was within 1/4 to 1/3 mile from the treasured area. The source of the eruption upslope is, of course Fissure 8. Fountaining has become gushing, as tons of hot liquid rock pour unabated out of the nearly 200-foot high cone. The output is mind boggling… as Pele continues to generate 6-9 million cubic meters of lava per day from this vent. She sends her 2-thousand degree fluid lava downslope in rivers… to the ocean entry some eight miles below. The river is widening here and there, but showing few signs of overflowing. The flow front is ever growing… now about two miles across, and continuing to spread to the North and South. Only a few homes are left to the north… and the slowly moving lava is picking them off, one by one. Earlier this month, hundreds of homes were destroyed in Kapoho Beach lots and Vacationland to the south. Pilot Sean Regehr once again put us in the perfect position to capture images of this historical event. Special Guest Monica Chace, Leilani, Doctor Ducky, Bruce Omori and I captured everything we could over the amazing flow field of the current Leilani Eruption… you da man, Sean… and as always, giant mahalos to Paradise Helicopters for making this happen!
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure