As Lava Flows in Hawaii, 'This Is Not the Time for Sightseeing,' Agency Warns
The texts and calls to John Tarson, a tour operator in Hawaii who has taken thousands of visitors to see lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano over the years, began soon after last week’s spectacular eruptions.
There were expressions of concern for the residents on the island’s eastern edge who were forced to flee their homes, and about his own safety. There were exclamations of fear and awe at the lava spreading across the land. And then, some version of the question: “Can we go watch?”
To those, Mr. Tarson, 37, had an easy response. He was as compelled as anyone by the sight of lava, which he captured on video Saturday night spurting 230 feet into the air. There was something inescapably primal about it, he liked to say, a thrilling reminder that civilization sits on the crust of a planet made of molten rock.
But for now, business was closed, he replied to the avalanche of queries: “At this point our efforts are all going to be to help the community that is suffering losses.”
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“On the one hand, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing you’re seeing in person,” said Ryan Finlay, an island resident and the administrator of the Hawaii Tracker Facebook group. “And then 10 minutes later, that lava is going into a person’s yard and burning their house down.” The Facebook group tracks lava flow and has been a home for videos taken by island residents in recent days.
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